Addicted Users Intervention

DRUTES ELECTED!!!

2012-02-09T12:47:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to drutes for being elected the 3rd member of the Owners Hall of Fame! drutes collected 37 of 40 possible points with a total of 7 out of 10 first place votes. drutes has had a great career so far in Addicted Users. His career accolades includes 8 division titles and has 4 wild card berths in his 20 seasons in AU for a total of 12 playoff appearances. In those 12 appearances he has 2 NLCS championships and 1 World Series championship. Additionally he has made 10 AAA playoffs, 8 AA playoffs with 3 AA championships, 9 HiA playoffs with 1 championship, 8 LoA playoffs with 1 championship, and 3 Rookie playoffs. Hopefully this is just the start and drutes will look to be a force in AU for the next 20 seasons as well.

2nd Power Rankings of Season 21!

2012-02-06T22:10:00.002-05:00

1. New York Torrones(60-31)--The Torrones are dominating Addicted Users with a top ten offense and a top 5 pitching staff. They are led by all star bats Gerardo Oliva and Woody Hoiles.
Previously Ranked: 3rd (+2)

2. Colorado Springs Sky Sox(56-35)--The Sky Sox have one of the best offenses in AU this season. They also have a great pitching staff that is lead by all stars Phil Corino and Sean Brown.
Previously Ranked: 4th(+2)

3. Louisville Sluggers(59-32)--The Sluggers have the top pitching staff in the whole world and that has helped with an offense that is not living up to it's potential. They have been led by all stars Harry Velazquez and Junior Valdivia.
Previously Ranked: 2nd(-1)

4. Chicago Black Sox(56-35)--Chicago has been playing some great baseball, but they have the fortune of being in the same division as the Torrones. They are led by all stars Che Abe and Corey Gonzales.
Previously Ranked: 1st(-3)

5. New Orleans Freebeads(57-34)--The Freebeads have one of the top offenses in the AL. They are led by all stars Douglas Skrmetta and Ricky Bradley.
Previously Ranked: 7th(+2)

6. Detroit Grass Lakes(56-35)--The Grass Lakes are the first NL team in the power rankings. They have a very good offense and pitching staff. Led by all stars Cliff Brooks and J.R. Gray Detroit is looking to once again win their division.
Previously Ranked: NR

7. Boston EliteDucks(51-40)--The EliteDucks have the best offense in all of AU that has helped pick up the slack for a pitching staff that has underachieved so far this season. They are led by perennial all star Craig Velandia.
Previously Ranked: NR

8. Buffalo Wings(53-38)--Buffalo is led by a very good pitching staff that is complemented by a solid offense. The Wings are led by all stars Sean Waters and Jamie Martin.
Previously Ranked: 5th(-3)

9. Florida Fire Sailfish(52-39)--Florida has been led by a solid pitching staff that is led by their stud closer all star Yamid Astacio and slugging CF David Olivo.
Previously Ranked: NR

10. San Antonio Chupacabras(51-40)--San Antonio is led by one of the best offenses in all of AU but also has one of the poorer pitching staffs. They are led by all stars Bucky Dickey and Joe Redman.
Previously Ranked: 6th(-4)

Falling out of the Power Rankings Washington D.C Abnormals VII, Fresno Primetimers, Atlanta Braves

1st Power Rankings of Season 21!

2012-01-24T00:48:00.002-05:00

1. Chicago Black Sox(38-16)--The Black Sox have started this season out like gangbusters, dominating the competition.

2. New York Torrones(34-20)--The Torrones are off to a great start as well. The AL East could be a great race to watch this season.

3. Louisville Sluggers(32-22)--The Sluggers have struggled some with the bats out of the gate, but their pitching staff has led them so far.

4. Colorado Springs Sky Sox(32-22)--The Sky Sox are looking like they might cruise in the AL West.

5. Buffalo Wings(33-21)--The Wings have picked up right where they left off last season, in 1st place in the NL North.

6. San Antonio Chupacabras(34-20)--The Chupacabras have jumped out to an early lead in the NL South.

7. New Orleans Freebeads(30-24)--The Freebeads figure to contend all season long and the very tough AL South.

8. Washington D.C. Abnormals VII(35-19)--The Abnormals have played very well in 1-run games to stay red hot.

9. Fresno Primetimers(33-21)--The Primetimers are currently leading the NL West by a comfortable 5 games.

10. Atlanta Braves(30-24)--The Braves have started the season off well with some nice free agent pickups. They could help make the AL South very interesting.

The Goldies

2011-10-05T12:44:00.000-05:00

The Herb Washington Award

This is awarded to the player who adds as little to his team as possible beyond the ability to steal bases.

George Governale In 247 ab’s he has managed to drive in 14 runs while batting a paltry .211. However he has stolen 21 bases in 24 tries. Hon Mention, Kip Robertson The rule 5 draftee has bashed out 4 homers to go with a hot .233 avg. The best part of his game though is the 18 steals in just 20 tries.

The Glenn Wilson Award

Formerly known as the Rifle Arm award.

Roy Gordon The CF has racked up 13 assists in just 110 games, he has an outside shot at 20 this year. Hon Mention, a style="color:black;" href="http://www.whatifsports.com/hbd/Pages/Popups/PlayerProfile.aspx?pid=2118823" target="_blank">Einar Carrasquel he has played a few positions this season but still he has racked up 11 assists in just 83 games in the OF.

The Bill Buckner Award

Once again Terrence Cooper has this award locked up. 4^th in assists for a 1^st baseman but a whopping 7 errors and 6 negative plays. Hon Mention, Joey Weiss On the outside he looks like a pretty smooth fielder, 55 assists, but his 7 negative plays, 3 errors and 9.70 range factor are among the worst.

The Bash Brothers Award

The team with the best overall pop

Minnesota Twinkies Leading both leagues with 189 homers. 4 players have hit over 25 and are on pace for almost 40 a piece. 4 other players have reached double digits. They are on pace for almost 270 homers. Hon Mention, Dover Gryphons 139 homers is not a lot but 10 players have already reached double digits with Olmeda leading the way with 21. Every player in this lineup is a threat every time up.

The Mid 80’s Cardinals Award

The team with the best speed and no pop.

Louisville Sluggers overall they have 152 steals with two players swiping more then 38 a piece. 4 other players have reached double digits to give this team a well balanced running game. Hon Mention, New Orleans Freebeads they lead the league with 173 steals with Poole and Bradley on pace for almost 60 swipes each.

The Express Award

This gunslinging pitcher has a knack for k’s and for walks.

Steven Eveland is averaging almost 7 k’s per 9 innings and and an amazing 10 walks. Hon Mention, Peter Barker throws hard and wild to the tune of almost 7 k’s and walks per 9 innings.

The Mike Hampton Award

Better hitter then pitcher award.

Andres Cabrera Not a bad pitcher 6-7 with a 4.46 ERA, but a sweet bat has lead to a .314 avg and a solid .666 OPS Hon Mention, Hersh Bergman 7-8 with a 4.67 ERA, is 11 for 44 at the dish however and has a respectable .577 ops.

The Willie Keeler Award

The player who likes to settle for a single

Luther Stanley This young speedster is batting a blistering .311 but has only 17 extra base hits to give him a anemic .361 SLG. His .728 OPS is barely better then Andres Cabrera the Mike Hampton award winner. Hon Mention, Russell Leach Another speedy player that has a solid .292 avg, his 23 extra base hits only bump the SLG up to .357.

The Bobby Bonilla Award

The player who should probably be a DH

Alfonso Tejera His glove aint awful but he aint no CF anymore (16 errors and 8 negative plays). Luckily he is still ripping up the league with is bat .331 avg and 25 homers. The HOF is just around the corner for him but no Gold Glove. Hon Mention, Eric Murphy This all-star catcher doesn’t seem to have the legs anymore, 8 errors and a weak 22% CS percentage. Still has the stick to stay in the league.

The Rob Deer Award

Player who hits the homers and not much else.

Allen Barkley This career .270 hitter is having a way down year with the avg. A .214 avg and a .263 OBP offset his 25 homers in just over 400 at bats. Not really earning the 6 million this season. Hon Mention, Orlando Espinosa Not much better the Barkley .218 avg and a .275 OBP, is out homering barley by 1 in 20 less at bats as well.

The Dal Maxvill Award

Just look him up.

Julio Beltre brings gold glove type defense and a .210 avg with 1 HR every 130 ab’s and a no speed. Hon mention, Vin Hudson has the defensive ability of a good RF and the bat of Okay hitting pitcher. .195 avg and 1 homerun in over 350 at bats.

700 Saves club!!

2011-10-04T12:46:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to the Boise Browncoats' Felipe Cairo for saving his 700th game! Quite a remarkable feat! Surely a sure-fire-HOFer Cairo has had a tremendous career in Boise!!!!

Owner's HOF

2011-09-28T12:38:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to brentnet for becoming the 2nd member of the Addicted Users Owners HOF! brentnet has had a very successful career here in AU in both the Major Leagues and with his Minor Leagues!

3rd Power Rankings of Season 20

2011-09-26T14:01:00.003-05:00

1. Louisville Sluggers(62-29)--The Sluggers are led by 8 all-stars this season. None have been more important than 2-time pitcher of the week Harry Velazquez. Velazquez struggled a little bit out of the gate, but he has been unstoppable since then!
Previously Ranked: 1st(E)

2. Boston EliteDucks(66-25)--Boston has ust been crushing the ball. With 7 all-stars on this years squad, none are more important than Craig Velandia!
Previously Ranked: 2nd(E)

3. New Orleans Freebeads(59-32)--The Freebeads are still breathing down Louisville's neck. This has the makings of a great division race as we enter the second half. The Freebeads have 4 all-stars led by power hitting youngster Erubiel Pineda.
Previously Ranked: 3rd(E)

4. Cincinnati Knights(59-32)--The Knights have been the hottest team in the AL over the past week. They are led by 3 all-stars with Ronnie Patrick finally having his breakout season it looks like.
Previously Ranked: 6th(+2)

5. Florida Fire Sailfish(53-38)--Florida is quietly having an excellent season. They are led by 2 all-stars, one of them being power hitting CF David Olivo.
Previously Ranked: 5th(E)

6. Chicago Black Sox(49-42)--Chicago seems to be starting to pull away from the rest of their division as we enter the all-star break. That could change though as their season has had some ups and downs. They are led by 3 all-stars and dominant closer Reagan Murray.
Previously Ranked: 9th(+3)

7. Colorado Springs Sky Sox(49-42)--The Sky Sox are led by lone all-star Trent Crane and a very good offense.
Previously Ranked: NR

8. San Diego Blue Sox(48-43)--San Diego is making their debut in the Power Rankings this season. They have a great pitching staff. Surprisingly they only have 1 all-star, Yank Watkins.
Previously Ranked: NR

9. Buffalo Wings(51-40)--The Wings are playing some very good baseball as they take over the top spot in the NL North going into the all-star break. With 2 all-stars they are led by youngster Carlos Arias.
Previously Ranked: 10th(+1)

10. Jackson Jaywalkers(51-40)--The Jaywalkers are the hottest team in AU over the past week. They are led by 2 all-stars, one of them being starter Bob Kelly.
Previously Ranked: NR

Dropping out: New York Torrones, Baltimore Bullets, and Salem Senators

2nd Power Rankings of Season 20

2011-09-19T19:24:00.002-05:00

1. Louisville Sluggers(49-23)--The Sluggers are top 5 in runs scored, ERA, and fielding percentage. They have another dominate team that should make the playoffs.
Previously Ranked:3rd(+1)

2. Boston EliteDucks(53-19)--The EliteDucks continue to be one of the top teams in AU. They have great players. The gap does seem to be narrowing a bit though in the NL.
Previously Ranked: 2nd(E)

3. New Orleans Freebeads(47-25)--The two-time defending AL pennant winners are playing even better baseball this year it seems. New Orleans has one of the best offenses in the league and are breathing down Louisville's neck for the divsion lead.
Previously Ranked: NR

4. Salem Senators(48-24)--The Senators are lead by, easily, the best pitching staff in the majors. They have timely hitting to help with that and will give Boston a run in the playoffs this year.
Previously Ranked: 6th(-2)

5. Florida Fire Sailfish(42-30)--The Sailfish play in a very tough division and would be in first place in about half of the other divisions. They play very good team baseball using every part(offense, pitching, and defense) to get the job done.
Previously Ranked: NR

6. Cincinnati Knights(45-27)--The Knights, whose franchise has never won the AL North, have positioned themselves to be the favorites in this division almost halfway through the season. Billpitt has turned this team into viable contenders that slug the ball with the best of them.
Previously Ranked: 4th(-2)

7. New York Torrones(39-33)--New York has been playing better ball as of late. The Torrones got off to a bad start this season, but seem to have turned it around so far. Their offense will need a little more help from their pitching to make a run at another division title.
Previously Ranked: NR

8. Baltimore Bullets(42-30)--The Bullets are lead by a very good pitching staff that needs some help offensively if they want to contend once they get into the playoffs.
Previously Ranked: NR

9. Chicago Black Sox(40-32)--The Black Sox are the current division leaders in the AL East but have fallen on tough times recently. If they can right the ship could they win this division away from torrone?
Previously Ranked: 1st(-8)

10. Buffalo Wings(40-32)--The Wings have traditionally been led by a much better pitching staff. If they can get their staff back where it should be then with their offense they could run away with the division again. First things first though, they must jump the Cleveland Penguins!
Previously Ranked: 8th(-2)

Dropping out: Anaheim Hasselhoffs, Detroit Grass Lakes, Jackson Jaywalkers, and Washington D.C. Abnormals

3000 HIT CLUB

2011-09-08T17:12:00.002-05:00

The AU Intervention would like to congratulate Darron Pierce, of the Louisville Sluggers, on becoming just the 2nd player in AU to get 3000 hits. What an amazing accomplishment.

We would also like to congratulate Billy Ledee, of the Washington D.C. Abnormals, on hitting his 500th HR earlier this season! That is quite a feat!

Additionally B.C. Garland, of the New York Torrones, has recorded his 300th save during the am cycle. Garland has been a model of consistency for the Torrones locking down the back end of his bullpen.

1st Power Rankings of Season 20!!!

2011-09-02T22:19:00.002-05:00

1. Chicago Black Sox(18-8)--The upstart Black Sox have surprised everyone jumping out to a very hot start here in the early going. They have a very good offense that is supplemented by a solid pitching staff.

2. Boston EliteDucks(19-7)--Sporting the best record in AU so far, the 2-time defending champs have an excellent top 5 pitching staff and just missed out having a top 5 offense so far this season. Look for the EliteDucks to dominate again all season long.

3. Louisville Sluggers(16-10)--The Sluggers got off to a rocky start, but they have started to turn that back around. They have a top 5 offense and pitching staff and fully expect to be in the thick of the AL South division race.

4. Cincinnati Knights(17-9)--The Knights have gotten off to an excellent start as well surprising the AL North a little I think. Billpitt has his team slugging their way to some wins. If they can get their pitching staff together then the AL North will need to be worried.

5. Anaheim Hasselhoffs(17-9)--Anaheim is lead by AU's best pitching staff so far in this very young season 20. If their offense gets going and supplements that staff then this team could steal the division away.

6. Salem Senators(15-11)--Salem has started the season off well. They are again led by a very good pitching staff and defense that will need just enough from their offense to take this team to the playoffs!

7. Detroit Grass Lakes(17-9)--The Grass Lakes are also lead by a top 5 pitching staff. Their defense though has not been doing the staff any favors and the offense has been average. If Detroit wants to stay in these rankings they are going to have to pick it up in both of those categories.

8. Buffalo Wings(14-12)--The Wings haven't played spectacular baseball obviously, but they have played solid all around. This team is built to win now and if they can will be a team that can contend for the World Series.

9. Jackson Jaywalkers(15-11)--The Jaywalkers are supported by a top 10 pitching staff and defense. They need some work on offense. If their offense can get going some this team could really contend in their division all season.

10. Washington D.C. Abnormals(16-10)--Washington looks like they are trying to break out into contenders this season. Their offense is very good, but they need to get their pitching staff better if they intend to stay contenders.

Breakdown of Hall of Fame votes

2011-08-22T14:39:00.002-05:00

Here is a list of the HOF votes. Thought it'd be interesting to see how the votes break down!

Ramiro Guevara 18
Gerald Grey 13
Damaso Julio 13
Kirt Crane 12
Ned Taylor 10
Trevor Roa 9
Norm Adams 5
Felipe Vincente 5
Billy McNamara 4
Lou Benson 4
Miguel Acevedo 2
Clayton Hairston 2
Johnnie Price 2
Jayson Long 1
Will Hughes 1
Milt Wood 1
Benito Castilla 1
Pat Long 1
Julio Fuentes 1
Leonardo Mackowiak 1
Sherman Taylor 1
Buddy Scalici 1
Rolando Granados 1

WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS!!!

2011-07-15T15:52:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to the Boston EliteDucks for winning their second straight championship! For the second straight season they were able to defeat the New Orleans Freebeads. This time it took 7 games though as the Freebeads were able to force a game 7 after falling down 3-1. In the end though keeid12x was able to pull it out. The parade that Boston held was wild, but there were no arrests made as the city of Boston was able to handle themselves (and their liquior) well!

5th and FINAL Power Rankings of Season 19

2011-06-25T23:37:00.002-05:00

1. Boston EliteDucks(103-47)--With the #1 seed all locked up Boston will just stroll on into the playoffs. Will the repeat?
Previously Ranked: 2nd(+1)

2. Louisville Sluggers(103-47)--With their magic number at 1 the Sluggers hope to get it out of the way and then gear up for the playoffs!
Previously Ranked: 1st(-1)

3. Buffalo Wings(90-60)--The Wings have clinched their division. They still have something to play for though trying to get the bye over Salem.
Previously Ranked: 3rd(E)

4. New Orleans Freebeads(91-59)--The Freebeads are still mathematically in the race for the division and they don't have the wild card wrapped up yet, but it would be a huge upset if they don't end up the 5 seed.
Previously Ranked: 5th(+1)

5. Salem Senators(88-62)--The Senators will look to wrap up their division soon and then zero in on trying to get the first round bye.
Previously Ranked: 8th(+3)

6. Salt Lake City Buzz(87-63)--The Buzz are trying to fend off the Boise Browncoats for the AL West division title. At stake is a first round bye possibly and the loser COULD be on the outside looking in.
Previously Ranked: 7th(+1)

7. New York Torrones(82-68)--Mathematically New York hasn't clinched, but it's just a matter of time before they win this division for the 5th time in the last 6 seasons.
Previously Ranked: 10th(+3)

8. Boise Browncoats(85-65)--Boise has faltered here in the past week or so, but if they can get it together they should be able to make it into the playoffs.
Previously Ranked: 4th(-4)

9. Florida Fire Sailfish(82-68)--Florida has also faltered some in the last week, but they are incredibly talented and it wouldn't be a surprise to see them make a run at the wild card. Bottom line is that one very talented team in the AL isn't going to make it into the playoffs.
Previously Ranked: NR

10. Toronto Toros(80-70)--Talk about a team that is not playing well. The Toros fell from 6th on the power rankings and out of the teams considered for the rankings had the least amount of wins since the last rankings. Goldenboy69 needs a late push to avoid a nasty collapse.
Previously Ranked: 6th(-4)

Dropping out Iowa City Lets Play Two

Slam Dunk MVP's???!!!

2011-06-22T22:06:00.002-05:00

Craig Velandia and Rich White are both having superb seasons. Velandia has won the Player of the Week Award 4 out of the 6 weeks. That is just incredible. He also leads Addicted Users in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging, OPS, runs scored, home runs, and walks. In addition to that he's top 5 in RBI's, HBP's and hits. Thats for BOTH leagues. He is just playing out of this world and in my humble opinion is the slam dunk MVP in the National League.

Rich White is having an absolutely incredible season in his own right. In just his 3rd full season for Toronto White has been truly dominant. He leads the Majors in RBI's. He also is in the top 5 in the American League in home runs, triples, runs scored, stolen bases, slugging, and OPS. I think White has the AL MVP award wrapped up as well barring a complete diseaster in the last 15 games or so.

20 questions with joshoakley

2011-06-21T22:06:00.000-05:00

1. What should we call you?
Josh (I know, right?)

2. Any hobbies or favorite pastimes besides HBD?
I've always excelled at the bar room sports like darts and shuffleboard... If you can consider those hobbies. Love softball, which keeps me busy during the weekdays.

3. How did you fall into HBD?
I was deep into Hoops Dynasty with some friends and started to hear rumblings about HBD. I was quietly hoping they would take the HD model and create something around baseball. Once the site went live, I grabbed a team in Williams.

4. How many teams do you run? How many hours per week do you pour into your teams?
I have two now. The other is in Kinsella that I just picked up. I don't think I need two (for some reason it feels like I'm cheating on my team here with the Kinsella team) but my addiction is kinda outta hand right now. Maybe spend 30-45 minutes a day here.

5. Married? Children?
Married for just over a year now. Children down the road.

6. City/State you live in? Hometown where you grew up?
Born and raised in Los Angeles. Well, kinda. I grew up in the Pasadena area and now live in North Hollywood, but everyone just says L.A. anyway.

7. Occupation? Do you check in on your teams often during the workday?
I work for Fox Sports Net on the programming side. Primarily working with outside producers to bring content to all the FS regions. I check in with both teams about three times a day. Hard not to when I'm in front of a computer all day. Sometimes it's more.

8. Who is your all time favorite baseball player?
This is a tough one. I'm forever a Dodger fan and when I was growing up, it was Steve Sax. Through the years, its been different Dodgers. For a while, Gagne was the #1 reason to be at a Dodger game. Even though he's not a player, Vin has a big place in my heart. Outside of Dodgers, I loved Don Mattingly (give him time, he will be a great manager) and Ken Griffey Jr.

9. What makes you laugh?
My wife, Louis CK, farts, cat videos, old episodes of The Simpsons, SNL Digital Shorts, that Christmas Shoes song, Tosh.0, Deadspin.

10. Top 3 all time movies?
The Big Lebowski, Goodfellas, Swingers.

11. What popular song past/present do you most identify with?
Straight Outta Compton - NWA

12. Real baseball team you grew up loving? Still in love with them?
Dodgers. Was in the Blue Crew Fan Club as a kid.

13. Tell me 2 things you wish you knew about particular AU owners?
What their full names are and what their favorite credit card number is (don't forget the expiration date! :)

14. You're fairly quiet as an AU owner. Why?
I'm not really one to chime in on the boards unless I feel it's absolutely necessary or it directly involves my team.

15. What is your GM philosophy?
Batters: Batting Eye and splits. Pitchers: Control, a strong #1 & #2 pitch.

16. Any special meaning for your WIS nickname? Your AU team name?
I think my nickname is pretty obvious. As for my team name, when I think of New Orleans, I think of beads. And you get free beads during Mardi Gras for showing boobs. I don't know...my 13-year-old self named the team.

17. Who is/was your favorite AU owner? Why?
Don't really have a favorite. I do respect everyone who has stuck around all these seasons. We have a really strong core of owners who make it fun.

18. Which MLB Commissioner do you admire or identify with most? Why?
None really.

19. General pet peeves about the HBD game?
Coach hiring would be up there. The down time between seasons also drives me crazy.

20. If I was AU Commish for a day I would...
...be so drunk with power I'd pass out.

Rieber Column on MLB realignment

2011-06-20T17:48:00.002-05:00

Bud Selig's reign as baseball commissioner has brought us -- for better or worse -- interleague play, the wild card, the World Baseball Classic and instant replay.
Now it seems a near-certainty that a second wild card will be added in each league and that some sort of modest realignment will take place in time for the 2012 season.
Realignment, as ESPN.com first suggested, would seem to be as simple as moving the Houston Astros into the American League West.
While we appreciate most of Selig's innovations, we'd like to see baseball go deeper with realignment.
A lot deeper. Like a 500-foot home run.
It's time to say goodbye to the American and National Leagues. It's time to abandon a structure that was established in 1903 and serves no purpose today except to prop up memories and record books with a bunch of dusty, useless numbers.
What baseball needs to do is realign geographically. Learn the positive lessons of interleague play -- that fans like to see teams play against their neighbors from not just the same city, but also from just down the road.
It's not only the two-team cities (New York, Chicago, Los Angeles) that would benefit. It's regions that have teams a short drive or quick flight apart and could develop rivalries that would grab hold of fans' attentions for generations to come.
Why should the Phillies, for example, face the Mets 18 times a year but face the Yankees only every so often during interleague play? Here's why: Because the American League came in as an upstart to the established National League in 1903 and the NL titans didn't want to play them during the season.
(Yes, that's the reason. Because we've always done it that way.)
Wouldn't Mets fans love the chance to try to score tickets for a Mets-Red Sox game at Fenway Park every year? Why don't Cincinnati and Cleveland or Kansas City and St. Louis get to fight each other for a division crown? Wouldn't the Giants and A's be able to stir up a nice, groovy Northern California rivalry if they were in the same division?
Wouldn't baseball make more money?
The first place we saw this idea during the current debate was on ESPN.com, where former Reds and Nationals general manager Jim Bowden posted a realignment scheme on his blog. We liked it so much that we copied it here with just some minor tweaks (see chart).
"I just wanted to put it out there: Has the time come where we look at the two leagues and interleague play?" Bowden, who also co-hosts the "Inside Pitch" show on Siruis/XM radio, said in a telephone interview.
"Really, we've eradicated the American and National Leagues," he said. "We're really just Major League Baseball right now. And the question comes: Is there a better way to move forward? If we're going to talk about one team moving from one league to another, is it time to take a deep breath and say, 'Would it make more sense at this point to geographically align and get less travel and a better schedule and have one rule instead of a DH and non-DH?' Is it the time?"
Selig would say it's not time because he knows it would be too much to do in one collective-bargaining season. But MLB's current thought of creating two 15-team leagues with three five-team divisions by 2012 is going to have unintended consequences that we hope will lead to more radical changes down the road:
Under one plan MLB is considering for 2012, teams would play 72 games in their division, 60 games against the 10 other teams in their league and 30 interleague games. An interleague game would be required nearly every day because of the uneven number of clubs in each league.
The howling from AL clubs about losing their DH 15 times a season instead of the current nine will only get louder and could lead to both leagues finally adopting or abandoning the DH.
Once that happens, there will be no difference between the leagues. And no reason to keep them around.

MLB EAST
Atlantic Division
---------------
Yankees, Mets,Blue Jays, Phillies, Red Sox

Southeast Division
---------------
Braves, Marlins, Nats, Orioles, Rays

Central Division
----------------
Indians, Pirates, Reds, Tigers, Twins

MLB WEST
Midwest Div
----------------
Brewers, Cards, Cubs, Royals, White Sox

Western Div
----------------
Astros, D'Backs, Mariners, Rangers, Rockies

Pacific Div
----------------
Angles, A's, Giants, Dodgers, Padres

20 questions with Evan43

2011-06-19T20:45:00.000-05:00

1. What should we call you?
Evan

2. Any hobbies or favorite pastimes besides HBD?
Movies, Sports (mostly watching these days), Hanging out with my girls

3. How did you fall into HBD?
I've been on the site for almost ten years. I was a real big into SimLeague Baseball. I switched over to GD for awhile until HBD came out. I joined the day they launched game.

4. How many teams do you run? How many hours per week do you pour into your teams?
I am at 4 teams right now. I just had to let one go due to time and normal family chaos. In total I spend a few hours a day checking. It just depends on the time of the season for my teams.

5. Married? Children?
My wife has three beautiful girls. The youngest is almost four; she is my girl. She always makes me laugh. Just a whirlwind of energy.

6. City/State you live in? Hometown where you grew up?
I live in central Arizona. I moved out here about 8 years ago. I grew up in Akron, Ohio, and went to college in Canton, Ohio.

7. Occupation? Do you check in on your teams often during the workday?
I work in retail. I check my teams on my droid phone as much as I can. I have to hide out in my office. I used to be able to check on my computer, but WhatIf is a blocked site now. I think I had a small hand in putting it on the company's radar. All those GD recruiting classes probably did me in.

8. Who is your all time favorite baseball player?
I love baseball. Especially the history of the game. So I have a lot of players I like. But, growing up and even now, my favorite player is Dale Murphy. I can really get worked up when I start talking about Murphy not being in the HOF. I also have to say Chipper Jones is a close second to Murphy.

9. What makes you laugh?
I love to joke around and be a smart ass. My little girl Aurelia makes me laugh all the time. I also love to watch tv and movies that me laugh.

10. Top 3 all time movies?
I think I could write an essay on this question. I did a few times in college. I am big movie buff. So to make a short answer long... Casablanca is the best movie ever made. I really like films of Clint Eastwood, Woody Allen, the Marx Brothers, Wes Anderson and the Cohen Brothers, just to name a few. So at this moment... Casablanca, Annie Hall & Chinatown.

11. What popular song past/present do you most identify with?
Something from The Killers or Simon & Garfunkel

12. Real baseball team you grew up loving? Still in love with them?
I have always been a hopeless Atlanta Braves fan. I grew up with the Cleveland Indians, so they will always have a small piece of my baseball heart.

13. Tell me 2 things you wish you knew about particular AU owners?
Where everyone is from. And does anyone else think of their players as if they are real players from time to time?

14. You're fairly quiet as an AU owner. Why?
Not a big board guy usually. I love to read whats going on, but not big on chiming in. Plus, checking at work doesn't always allow for it. The blog in this world in one of the best around.

15. What is your GM philosophy?
Win. I have a difficult time waiting and rebuilding. Splits are king. Know your players and their strengths. Every roster spot should fill a role in the machine.

16. Any special meaning for your WIS nickname? Your AU team name?
My nickname is my first name and my high school jersey number. The name Browncoats comes from an old tv show Firefly.

17. Who is/was your favorite AU owner? Why?
I can't pick just one. This truly is a great world with a very solid group of guys. I do have to give a little love to MGreenwell. He left this team in amazing shape with a boatload of talent.

18. Which MLB Commissioner do you admire or identify with most? Why?
Happy Chandler. He was the players' commissioner. He helped set up a pension fund. He also allowed Branch Rickey to sign Jackie Robinson.

19. General pet peeves about the HBD game?
Coach hiring is weak. The lack in amount of talent is the draft is stupid. DITR should happen after players sign; not the all-star break. A late pick should turn into Jake Peavy or Albert Pujols. I not saying it should happen for every team every season, but it never happens. That is unrealistic.

20. If I was AU Commish for a day I would...
Do as little as possible. This a such a great world. The commish doesn't need to do much.

ALTON BUCKLEY SLAMS #700

2011-06-18T21:16:00.002-05:00

Vancouver's own, Alton Buckley became just the 2nd player in AU to hit 700 home runs on Friday, June 17 during the PM cycle. Unfortunately the Villians were unable to pull out a win, but they still had something to celebrate! Congratulations to Mr. Buckley for reaching this outstanding milestone.

4th Power Rankings for Season 19

2011-06-17T15:54:00.002-05:00

1. Louiville Sluggers(89-37)--Louiville continues to cruise through the regular season. As a team, they have a league high batting average and on-base percentage. Anything short of the ALCS will be a major disappointment for this team. (Anything short of the World Series will be a major disappointment for davidbutler9).
Previous Rank: 1st(E)

2. Boston EliteDucks(84-42)--The EliteDucks are steamrolling their way to the NL playoffs. They lead AU in walks and are in the top 5 in least amount of strikeouts. Being the defending champs anything short of the NLCS will be a major disappointment for Boston.
Previous Rank: 2nd(E)

3. Buffalo Wings(72-54)--The Wings offense is led by Gerardo Espinoza who is having an MVP type season. The very good pitching staff is led by rookie of the year candidate Sean Waters. Waters is also a serious Cy Young candidate. This team keeps getting stronger and stronger as the season goes on.
Previous Rank: 5th(+2)

4. Boise Browncoats(75-52)--The Browncoats currently own the 2nd seed in the AL. They are still in a fight for their division with the upstart Salt Lake breathing down their necks. Boise's defense continues to help out the pitching staff recording the 4th most double plays in AU.
Previous Rank: 6th(+2)

5. New Orleans Freebeads(73-53)--New Orleans is playing some excellent baseball over the past week. They have leapfrogged Florida to take over 2nd place in the AL South. They have a very good rookie, Alving Espinosa, hoping to win rookie of the year. The pitching staff has a great anchor in closer, Guillermo Sivilla.
Previous Rank: 8th(+3)

6. Toronto Toros(71-55)--The Toros have slugged themselves to the AL North division lead and are lead by MVP candidate Rich White who has just been phenomenol for Toronto. The resurgent Al Canseco has been key for Toronto as well.
Previous Rank: 7th(+1)

7. Salt Lake City Buzz(71-55)--The Buzz have riden a 13 game win streak into the power rankings for the first time this season. They not only have risen to the top wild card spot, they also are contending for the division. Salt Lake's top offense in AU is lead by Trent Crane.
Previous Rank: NR

8. Salem Senators(72-54)--Salem has sputtered a little bit having only posted the 2nd fewest wins out of the teams in contention for the power rankings. That will happen some with a team that rely's so much on their pitching and defense. Walt Paul has been awesome as the anchor of the bullpen for grissom.
Previous Rank: 3rd(-5)

9. Iowa City Lets Play Two(70-56)--Iowa City's offense has been led by silver slugger choices Babe Denny and Claude Seaton. Their pitching staff has been led by innings eater Bret Powell and by closer Teddy Benson.
Previous Rank: 10th(+1)

10. New York Torrones(67-59)--The Torrones continue to play very well at home. They have been a sub-.500 team this season on the road, but the good news is they only have 12 more games on the road. That should bode very well for them going down the stretch playing more games at home.
Previous Rank: NR

Dropping out: Minnesota Twinkies and Florida Fire Sailfish

20 questions with brentnet

2011-06-16T09:22:00.001-05:00

1. What should we call you?
My name is Brent... that was probably tough for most people to guess based on my screen name.

2. Any hobbies or favorite pastimes besides HBD?
I'm into quite a bit of things. I'm an assistant coach for our local HS basketball and cross country team. My newest hobby is amateur/indie filmmaking (see: www dot forthreemovie dot com)

3. How did you fall into HBD?
I think I read something Bill Simmons about WIS SimBaseball being like crack. It was except I got sick of getting beat by Bob Milacki in the playoffs.

4. How many teams do you run? How many hours per week do you pour into your teams?
I'm kind of the oddball hear. I've been here for 19 seasons with one and only team. Having more than one team feels like being in some strange Mormon/Big Love-esque marriage to me. I usually check my team right away in the morning and over my lunch break. I usually miss the PM2 shift. I don't know what the hourly breakdown is. Much more during coach signing/free agent signing/draft obviously.

5. Married? Children?
Yes - 1 kid (who turns 1 tomorrow!)

6. City/State you live in? Hometown where you grew up?
Perham, MN. Other than college, I've lived here since I was 12.

7. Occupation? Do you check in on your teams often during the workday?
I work IT... I do from time to time. Depends on what kind of day I'm having (aka - do we have any servers down and/or are people able to get their email)

8. Who is your all time favorite baseball player?
Kirby Puckett

9. What makes you laugh?
My team... the last three or four years before this year.

10. Top 3 all time movies?
Godfather 1 & 2
Scarface
Swingers

11. What popular song past/present do you most identify with?
Oh boy. All of my favorite kinds of music is music that probably shouldn't speak to a nearly 30-year old white guy living in Minnesota. My favorite band is still A Tribe Called Quest.

12. Real baseball team you grew up loving? Still in love with them?
Minnesota Twins - probably less this season than in past seasons, but yeah, they are my second favorite sports team (how embarrassing is it that the MN Timberwolves are my favorite team?)

13. Tell me 2 things you wish you knew about particular AU owners?
Nothing in particular. Just interested in knowing more about everyone.

14. You're fairly outspoken as an AU owner. Why?
I'm never mad. I just like to debate sometimes. I don't like to be called out when I don't like I'm wrong.

15. What is your GM philosophy?
Used to be grab sluggers that nobody wanted. I'm talking like 0-99-20-88-50 kind of guys. Use platoons to my advantage with that sort of thing. Then they changed the engine on me and I was (pardon my french) effed for about five seasons. I'm now trying to build a more balanced team. I don't mess with the IFA market. I don't do much trading anymore because nobody is seemingly willing to give up fifty cents on a dollar. My goal is to build a team of pitching and good hitters at the tough spots to find good hitting and fill in the gaps through free agency. My goal this past offseason was to fix my bullpen (which I did). Next year, I'm hoping to fix the rotation. Oh... and if I have money after the transaction deadline, I like to go grab old players that I used to have just because it's fun.

16. Any special meaning for your WIS nickname? Your AU team name?
When I made my first website, it was called brentnet.us. I've had the name for like 10 years now. Team name is pretty generic.

17. Who is/was your favorite AU owner? Why?
I don't know if I have a favorite. I know being in the same division for 19 years (which is really like 5-6 years, right), goldenboy and I have had some great battles.

18. Which MLB Commissioner do you admire or identify with most? Why?
NOT BUD SELIG! He tried to contract my beloved Twins.

19. General pet peeves about the HBD game?
Coach hiring sucks. I wish they could fix the timing issue... sometimes it takes two weeks to fill. You take a three day weekend away from a computer and come back and find out that your financials are set. I like the game, but I think the pre-season stuff is still pretty rough. Here's my biggest thing: GET AN APP! If I could get WIS on iPhone or Android, I'd be the happiest man alive.

20. If I was AU Commish for a day I would...
Make a new rule where everyone has to trade their two best prospects to me... kind of like PNA.

20 questions with bbwinnow

2011-06-14T13:44:00.001-05:00

1. What should we call you?
Brendan

2. Any hobbies or favorite pastimes besides HBD?
I play Pokémon a lot (the video games, not the trading cards) and I used to play softball at my old school. I was a pitcher and I sucked.

3. How did you fall into HBD?
I used to be a SLB guy, but I discovered HBD pretty early on. I took over my brother's team when he left the old Stargell world.

4. How many teams do you run? How many hours per week do you pour into your teams?
At one point I had three teams, but this is my only current team. I generally spend 30 minutes per day on HBD during the regular season, more in the offseason.

5. Married? Children?
No.

6. City/State you live in? Hometown where you grew up?
I live in Conway, MA (a bit closer to Boston than NYC) and have lived there since 2003. I have lived in western Massachusetts for nearly my entire life.

7. Occupation? Do you check in on your teams often during the workday?
Currently unemployed. I quit my job six months ago since I didn't have time for both it and college.

8. Who is your all time favorite baseball player?
David Ortiz. Though that's a bit obvious considering what he did in 2004. Seriously, three walk-off hits, two of them HRs, in 6 games?

9. What makes you laugh?
Watching reruns of old TV shows and seeing how stupid they seem all these years later.

10. Top 3 all time movies?
I don't watch movies all that much, and I really don't have favorites.

11. What popular song past/present do you most identify with?
"How Far We've Come" by Matchbox Twenty. It kind of fits who I am, and considering the "world is ending" theme of that song, it might mean more than that to people who thought it would end last month (during a Red Sox-Cubs series, no less!) or next year.

12. Real baseball team you grew up loving? Still in love with them?
Red Sox! They feel a bit different to me now that they won in 2004 and 2007.

13. Tell me 2 things you wish you knew about particular AU owners?
how the heck kevmax100 had 16 straight seasons in first or second place before I finished ahead of him in season 17.

14. You're fairly outspoken as an AU owner. Why?
I'm just surprised I managed to win my division at 80-82 last season. I guess I'm following in the steps of csherwood, taking the worst team in AU and turning it into a better yet not good enough team.

15. What is your GM philosophy?
Trade away prospects for guys that can win a title for me immediately. Of course, with all the Type B free agents I've had these last two seasons, I'm not quite sure which guys to keep. I'll be an 100-win team by season 21 if I keep this up.

16. Any special meaning for your WIS nickname? Your AU team name?
"Let's Play Two" comes from both the classic Ernie Banks quote and from my "Let's Play" video game walkthroughs on YouTube (though I won't give my YT username here.) My name here, bbwinnow, reflects my HBD tendencies, though this may be a coincidence since I started with SLB.

17. Who is/was your favorite AU owner? Why?
Csherwood, though he left well before I joined. There are interesting parallels between his team and mine, including two players that have played for both me and the 'Traps.

18. Which MLB Commissioner do you admire or identify with most? Why?
Bud Selig. This might be a surprise to most, but since he gave the Red Sox a chance to win in 2004 by introducing the wild card ten years earlier...

19. General pet peeves about the HBD game?
Owners who sign a lot of bad players or minor league FAs to long-term contracts then bolt after a season. On that note, guys who don't check their minors.

20. If I was AU Commish for a day I would...
institute a $20M prospect payroll cap.

20 questions with diabeticrock

2011-06-11T08:50:00.002-05:00

1. What should we call you?
Chris, but Rockstar works just fine ;)

2. Any hobbies or favorite pastimes besides HBD?
Enjoy writing (have a 2nd book coming out this summer) and spending time traveling

3. How did you fall into HBD?
Honestly, I don't really recall. I think I may have used one of those coupons for the college bball game during March Madness a few years ago

4. How many teams do you run? How many hours per week do you pour into your teams?
Currently I have three teams, and HBD is an adjective for PROCRASTINATION. I'd get a lot more work done if I didn't spend 18 hours a day studying the stats of my #5 starters.

5. Married? Children?
Single and any kids found richer fathers.

6. City/State you live in? Hometown where you grew up?
Temporarily back in Southeastern Michigan/Detroit, my hometown, after spending the previous 4 years in New York City. Probably heading out west to SoCal later this year.

7. Occupation? Do you check in on your teams often during the workday?
I run a charity (Diabetic Rockstar) and website (same ".com"), along with nationwide charity events, publishing endeavors (like the upcoming book), etc etc.

8. Who is your all time favorite baseball player?
Always had a thing for Kirk Gibson

9. What makes you laugh?
Is "Dumb people" an acceptable answer? I think one of the greatest joys in life is being able to find the humor in every thing.

10. Top 3 all time movies?
I'd have to probably include Swingers...Empire Records is a great, great movie...and for the hopeless romantic in me, lets go with Say Anything

11. What popular song past/present do you most identify with?
This is too hard....I am a music addict; I think my I-Tunes is up to 5,000 songs...I seriously have a song for every emotion, moment, feeling, whatever you can think of. I find a lot of myself in the very first Taking Back Sunday album, of all things, and even in some of Harry Chapin's first record.

12. Real baseball team you grew up loving? Still in love with them?
The Tigers,baby.

13. Tell me 2 things you wish you knew about particular AU owners?
1) What their weakness is, IE, the kind of player they can never say no too, and how old they all really are....Cause I swear I'm being toyed with by 12 year-olds, sometimes

14. You're fairly outspoken as a AU owner. Why?
Thats just me. I'm opinionated, vocal, stubborn, and always always fight for what I believe in....

15. What is your GM philosophy?
Offensively I'm a speed and makeup guy, pitching a groundball/pitch 2 type of guy.... My philosophy changes each time I lose, however

16. Any special meaning for your WIS nickname? Your AU team name?
I've kind of adopted "diabetic rockstar" as my alter-ego, or more appropriately as the persona I aspire to be. Its all about living life to the fullest.

17. Who is/was your favorite AU owner? Why?
Oh, none of you haha. You're all pains in my ass. But I guess Torrone, we've always had some good division battles, and now in other worlds too

18. Which MLB Commissioner do you admire or identify with most? Why?
Honestly, I don't identify with MLB commissioners in my lifetime, at least not to the point I can name more than one or two. The beauty of the game, unlike in other sports, is that the basic rules and structure never changes. Its always throw the ball, hit the ball, run around the bases...

19. General pet peeves about the HBD game?
I wish that there was a way to protect players from bad managers. Example, I just was a replacement owner and the previous guy had trotted out a 13 man MLB roster for the first 20 games. Its been 45 games and I still havent been able to use my #1 or #2starters because they are STILL at "0/0" fatigue and have no options, and aren't worth anything in the trade market right now. There has to be a way to protect players from their own selves, somehow, or give the commissioner additional ways to fix glaring mistakes

20. If I was AU Commish for a day I would...
Good question. I think a good commish lets people have passionate debates without becoming part of the debate. A good commish doesn't take sides, or argue vehemently for his/her point. The commish is the rep for all owners, just just a few.

3rd Power Rankings of Season 19

2011-06-09T10:51:00.001-05:00

1. Louisville Sluggers(72-31)-The Sluggers jump back into the top spot in the power rankings. They are powered behind an excellent lineup scoring runs in bunches fielding very well and still with a top 10 pitching staff.
Previously Ranked: 2nd(+1)

2. Boston EliteDucks(68-34)-Boston is thumping the rest of the competition in the NL. They are in the top 5 in runs scored and ERA. They have a great team cruising that doesn't look like it can be stopped right now.
Previously Ranked: 1st(-1)

3. Salem Senators(60-42)-Salem is riding an 11 game winning streak into these power rankings. They have a pitching staff that continues to excel and is backed up by the majors 2nd best fielding team. Their bats continue to hold them back a little, but with pitching like they have, you don't have to score many runs.
Previously Ranked: NR

4.Florida Fire Sailfish(61-42)-The Fire Sailfish continue to play very good baseball. Their pitching staff is now in the top 5 in ERA and they are backed by a capable defense. Florida has the 3rd best record in the majors and the misfortune of being in the AL South.
Previously Ranked: 6th(+2)

5. Buffalo Wings(57-45)-The Wings continue to pitch very well and their offense is starting to wake up it seems. They have moved up in their overall rankings since the last power rankings. If that continues then it could be a nice race for the 2nd seed in the NL.
Previously Ranked: 8th(+3)

6. Boise Browncoats(59-43)-Boise continues to just play very good, solid baseball. They are in the top 10 in fielding to help their pitching staff.
Previously Ranked: 5th(-1)

7. Toronto Toros(56-46)-The Toros have the best offense in the league slugging the most homers and doubles along with driving in the most runs. Great power in gb69's lineup.
Previously Ranked: 3rd(-4)

8. New Orleans Freebeads(58-45)-New Orleans has a very good offense. They are still waiting for their pitching staff as a whole to get it together a little more, but they are doing just enough to keep them in games.
Previously Ranked: 10th(+2)

9. Minnesota Twinkies(53-50)-The Twinkies have an awesome offense that is the 4th best in the league. They slug with the best of them and are one of the hottest teams in AU right now. only the Salem Senators have won more games over the past week. They are held back by a less then stellar pitching staff and a poor team defense.
Previously Ranked: NR

10. Iowa City Lets Play Two(55-48)-Iowa City continues to play behind a good pitching staff that is in the top 10. If they can get an offensive presence before the trade deadline then they may be able to make a push in the playoffs if they win their division.
Previously Ranked: 9th(-1)

Dropping out: New York Torrones, Philadelphia Chases Aces

20 questions with rigbystarr

2011-06-07T15:20:00.002-05:00

1. What should we call you?
Rigby

2. Any hobbies or favorite pastimes besides HBD?
Sports in general. I watch the Pirates with my 2 year old son everytime they're on.

3. How did you fall into HBD?
I played APBA growing up. One day I was reading a forum on the APBA board and WIS was mentioned, I checked it out and I've been hooked since.

4. How many teams do you run? How many hours per week do you pour into your teams?
I have 3 teams, at one time I had 6. I put about an hour a day into my 3 teams.

5. Married? Children?
I'm a single father.

6. City/State you live in? Hometown where you grew up?
I'm from a little town, Ellwood City, it's just outside of Pittsburgh.

7. Occupation? Do you check in on your teams often during the workday?
Manager at Sears, I check my team while I'm taking a break.

8. Who is your all time favorite baseball player?
Roberto Clemente, he was always my hero.

9. What makes you laugh?
my son Max

10. Top 3 all time movies?
The Big Chill-you have to watch it at least twice to get it. Apocolypse Now- A dark Vietnam flick. Magnolia-it actually rains frogs.

11. What popular song past/present do you most identify with?
Here I go Again-Whitesnake.

12. Real baseball team you grew up loving? Still in love with them?
I am an avid Pirates fan. I attended game 3 of the 1975 NLCS against the Big Red Machine; the PIrates lost. I also attended game 4 of the 1979 World Series with the Pirates down 3 games to 1, they won that one and the Family went on to win the series.

13. Tell me 2 things you wish you knew about particular AU owners?
Anyone, how do you win a world series!?

14. You're fairly quiet as a AU owner. Why?
Good question, I don't know. I tend to send private messages rather than participate in world chat.

15. What is your GM philosophy?
Build within, probably because I'm a Pirates fan.

16. Any special meaning for your WIS nickname? Your AU team name?
Pittsburgh was taken so I decided to take the Penguins to Lake Erie. Rigby Starr, Can anyone guess how I came up with that handle?

17. Who is/was your favorite AU owner? Why?
jgarrity3, he wins with 120M payroll and never misses a beat. I know, he's in my other world, Stargell at Monument Park, but he's my biggest rival.

18. Which MLB Commissioner do you admire or identify with most? Why?
Peter Uberoth, he knew how to run a business.

19. General pet peeves about the HBD game?
Missing an event due to RL, rule 5, draft, coach hiring, etc.

20. If I was AU Commish for a day I would...
Hand it over to someone else.

goldenboy69 first inductee into Owner's HOF!!!!

2011-06-05T12:44:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to goldenboy69 for the being the first inductee into the Addicted Users Owner's Hall of Fame!!! goldenboy69 is the only 3-time world series winner in the world. He has won 8 division titles and 6 wild card berths for the most post season appearances as well. During those 14 playoffs he has won 3 ALCS's as well. He has succeeded in the minor leagues as well the playoffs a collective 24 times and winning the AAA world series once as well as the HiA world series once.

Additionally gb69 has been an excellent commissioner for Addicted Users. I'm not sure anyone would dispute his leadership and committment to this world. This world continue's to strive under his guidance and should continue to do so for many seasons hopefully.

Again, congratulations to gb69 for being very first member of this elite HOF!!

20 questions with rockydawg

2011-06-02T11:03:00.000-05:00

1. What should we call you?
Geoff

2. Any hobbies or favorite pastimes besides HBD?
Golf, fishing, walking my hounds, cooking/grilling and
aggravating my wife.

3. How did you fall into HBD?
Found it on a google search. Tried one season of a sim league, but the depth of HBD was what attracted me to the game. Used to play a little ball back in the day ( star pitcher on my T-ball team ) and lived and died baseball. So building a team from the ground up and developing players was very appealing. This was my 2nd world , Hunter was my first. I guess I became an Addicted User.

4. How many teams do you run? How many hours per week do you pour into your teams?
Got 4 teams right now. Spend about 8-10 hours a week. The wife thinks it is more.

5. Married? Children?
Married with 3 dogs ( Rocky, Marley and Kona) and 4 cats ( George, Koshka, Sammy and Sahara ) If anyone wants a cat I will give them Sahara and include a lifetime supply of food...the catch is a no-return policy:)

6. City/State you live in? Hometown where you grew up?
Reside in Raleigh, North Carolina at present. Born in Cleveland grew up in Erie, Pa

7. Occupation? Do you check in on your teams often during the workday?
I have been in retail for 33 years and rarely check during the workday.

8. Who is your all time favorite baseball player?
Have a few.
Willie Mays / Buddy Bell / Omar Vizquel / Tony Blair
Also Josh Gibson...just from the stories my Granfather used to tell me about him.

9. What makes you laugh?
My animals. They are always doing something you would not expect.

10. Top 3 all time movies?
Cool Hand Luke
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
The Outlaw Josey Wales

11. What popular song past/present do you most identify with?
Any Bob Seger tune.

12. Real baseball team you grew up loving? Still in love with them?
The Cleveland Indians. Started following them close when I was 10 way back in 1970. They was pretty bad. Listened to almost every game and when they were on the west coast would listen in bed with my ole transistor radio with a ear piece so my parents would not hear. Used to go to the old stadium when only a few hundred fans would show up.

13. Tell me 2 things you wish you knew about particular AU owners?
their passwords so I can change their lineups when they play me? Or I would just settle on where everyone is from.

14. You're fairly outspoken as a AU owner. Why?
I would not say I am outspoken, but do speak up if I feel strongly about an issue,

15. What is your GM philosophy?
What share my secrets on how to never win a World Series...well ok. I like pitching. Strong D and PC catchers. Good D up the middle. Power on the corners when I can. Although my philosophy does differ slightly in some of my other worlds. I don't really get into the International market much in this world and don't really sign to many "A" type FA.But that may change.

16. Any special meaning for your WIS nickname? Your AU team name?
My oldest dog is named Rocky...after Rocky Colavito. He was a rescue as all my animals are. He is 14 now. So all my teams name have Dawg in it...or will soon ( took over a team in mid season in Gibson world and have yet to change the name

17. Who is/was your favorite AU owner? Why?
Kinda hard to say, I have played with a lot of great owners in this world from the day I joined. I did not even have a full season when I joined and got a lot of great advice which I very much appreciated.

18. Which MLB Commissioner do you admire or identify with most? Why?
Kenesaw Mountain Landis....great name and he was described once by Ban Johnson as a "wild eyed nut".

19. General pet peeves about the HBD game?
Coach hiring...would also like to see more former players be coaches.
DTR's....just once would like to see one at least be a utility player.

20. If I was AU Commish for a day I would...
have 10 cent beer night!!!!

2nd Power Rankings of Season 19

2011-05-31T11:39:00.000-05:00

Without further ado here is the 2nd power rankings for this season:

1. Boston EliteDucks(53-27)-The EliteDucks took 2 out of 3 against the Louisville Sluggers which helps vaunt them to the top of the power rankings. It doesn't hurt when you have the best expected winning percentage, the 3rd best pitching staff and the 3rd best offense in the world.
Previously Ranked: 2nd (+1)

2. Louisville Sluggers(57-22)-Although the Louisville franchise does have the best record in AU, they have faultered some as of late. They have the 2nd best fielding team backing up the a vaunted pitching staff and a very solid lineup up and down.
Previously Ranked: 1st (-1)

3. Toronto Toros(45-35)-The very hot Toros have won 17 games in the past 9 days. They have catapulted themselves with the best offense in AU.
Previously Ranked: NR

4. New York Torrones(44-35)-As well as the Toros have been playing, the New York Torrones have been playing the best baseball in AU with 18 wins over 9 days. The Torrones also have the best fielding team in the world.
Previously Ranked: NR

5. Boise Browncoats(44-35)-The Browncoats have a solid all around team. They play well in all faucets of the game. They are in the top 15 in of categories and have the 4th best record in the world.
Previously Ranked: 9th (+4)

6. Florida Fire Sailfish(44-35)-Florida has a very good pitching staff that is backed up by an offense that scores enough to help them to a very good record.
Previously Ranked: 3rd (-3)

7. Philadelphia Chases Aces(44-35)-The Chases Aces have been holding steady and are tied for the 4th best record in AU. They don't excel at any one thing but they do play well as a unit.
Previously Ranked: 7th (E)

8. Buffalo Wings(43-37)-The Wings have stumbled a bit, but they are staying afloat with an excellent pitching staff and very good defense.
Previously Ranked: 6th (-2)

9. Iowa City Let's Play Two(43-37)-Iowa City has been playing some good baseball with 14 wins in a little over a week. The have the 6th best pitching staff in Addicted Users. They are steadily climbing from respectability into maybe becoming a contender.
Previously Ranked: NR

10. New Orleans Freebeads(44-36)-The Freebeads have risen into the power rankings after just missing out in the first one. They have a solid offense, that is held up by a pitching staff that is underperforming. If their pitching staff can get it together then they will be a force to reckon with.
Previously Ranked: NR

Dropping out: Madison Clansmen, Salem Senators, San Diego Blue Sox, and Detroit Grass Lakes

20 questions with torrone

2011-05-29T11:49:00.002-05:00

1. What should we call you?
Tony

2. Any hobbies or favorite pastimes besides HBD?
Golf. Reading.

3. How did you fall into HBD?
Was originally in STATS baseball and it's later offshoot. WIS was discussed by some of the the owners there, so I checked it out and fell in love.

4. How many teams do you run? How many hours per week do you pour into your teams?
2 teams. About 2 hours a day, so about 14-15 hours per week.

5. Married? Children?
Married 36 years. 2 children, a daughter 30 and a son 28.

6. City/State you live in? Hometown where you grew up?
I live in Malverne, Long Island NY. I grew up in Floral Park, a town near where I live today.

7. Occupation? Do you check in on your teams often during the workday?
I'm retired.

8. Who is your all time favorite baseball player?
Mickey Mantle

9. What makes you laugh?
The absurd

10. Top 3 all time movies?
Gone With The Wind. Paths of Glory. The Graduate

11. What popular song past/present do you most identify with?
Large Time by the Atlanta Rhythm Section. Always looking to have a good time.

12. Real baseball team you grew up loving? Still in love with them?
Yankees. As much as ever.

13. Tell me 2 things you wish you knew about particular AU owners?
I'd like to know how MikeT23 has the time to post 100's of comments on the Forums every day.

14. You're fairly outspoken as a AU owner. Why?
As with many, I have an idea of how things should be done to maintain a strong league. I think maintaining your minors and screening new owners to make sure they will be a good addition are important.

15. What is your GM philosophy?
I look for solid all-around players. There are few superstars, so I think the role and complimentary players are the difference between a soild franchise and an also-ran.

16. Any special meaning for your WIS nickname? Your AU team name?
torrone is a sweet Italian nougat candy made with honey and almonds. Try it, you'll love it. If you don't go into sugar-shock, that is.

17. Who is/was your favorite AU owner? Why?
I have 2. davidbutler9 from here and hitman1979 from my other league. Why? Because we have similar HBD philosophies. I also enjoy goldenboy69 for his intelligence and grissom97 for his passion.

18. Which MLB Commissioner do you admire or identify with most? Why?
Bart Giamatti. He did what needed to be done whether it was popular or not.

19. General pet peeves about the HBD game?
Flame wars on the chat. Owners who don't maintain their team at all levels. Unresponsive Wis support and unrealistic responses to many legitimate issues.

20. If I was AU Commish for a day I would...
shoot myself.

20 questions with goldenboy69

2011-05-27T19:12:00.001-05:00

1. What should we call you?
Jeff Penn

2. Any hobbies or favorite pastimes besides HBD?
I play softball, watch movies and read comic books some new mostly old.

3. How did you fall into HBD?
Started off in Sim Baseball, then started playing Hoops Dynasty and for awhile dreamed about the day that they would start a Baseball Sim like Hoops. Joined the first league i could with a friend that I worked with at PXP Sports, a "legal" sports betting website that was later purchased by Bodog. He got bored ten games into the season and left. I won the WS with the Santa Fe Express in Mr.October.

4. How many teams do you run? How many hours per week do you pour into your teams?
I have three teams, two of them for 19+seasons. Each team probably gets a solid 30 minutes everyday during the course of a season.

5. Married? Children?
Married for 13 years as of last weekend, Two kids, daughter 6, son 4.

6. City/State you live in? Hometown where you grew up?
I live just east of Toronto, Canada and grew up about an hour north of the city.

7. Occupation? Do you check in on your teams often during the workday?
I work for CTV, the largest tv network in Canada...i check my teams mostly while at work and do most of my draft research while at work.

8. Who is your all time favorite baseball player?
That is a tough one, Dave Stieb, George Bell, Jeffery Leonard, Andy Van Slyke, Lenny Dykstra and Wally Backman

9. What makes you laugh?
When i see a little bird flying after a crow or a blackbird beating the crap out of it.

10. Top 3 all time movies?
I am a movie junkee so this is tough.

When i was 9 it was DC Cab, Clash of the Titans and Flash Gordon.

Now it is Royal Tenenbaums, Dark Knight, Unbreakable

11. What popular song past/present do you most identify with?
Today/Smashing Pumpkins, Sabotage Beastie Boys

12. Real baseball team you grew up loving? Still in love with them?
Loved and Still Love the '86 Mets. Always a Jays Fan

13. Tell me 2 things you wish you knew about particular AU owners?
Any Ladies? Any Canadians?

14. You're fairly outspoken as a AU owner. Why?
I am just outspoken in general. I love a good argument and have trouble believing that people dont actually just agree with me all the time.

15. What is your GM philosophy?
D up the middle C/SS/CF, Power over contact, pitches over splits. Rest players as much as possible so always have a strong bench. Stick by your closer.

16. Any special meaning for your WIS nickname? Your AU team name?
In college we had a fictional wrestling league (long story). My character was called the Golden Boy. The Toros are a former WHA hockey team out of Toronto in the mid 70's.

17. Who is/was your favorite AU owner? Why?
We have a lot of great people here, Brent, torrone, jmercer, grissom

18. Which MLB Commissioner do you admire or identify with most? Why?
A. Bartlett Giamatti, because his son is Paul

19. General pet peeves about the HBD game?
Pre-season length, missed scouting on Amateur draft, you really should see every player...maybe not all the ratings

20. If I was AU Commish for a day I would...
Get a new commish :)

2011-05-26T15:03:00.002-05:00

20 Questions

1. What should we call you?
David, db9

2. Any hobbies or favorite pastimes besides HBD?
I love all sports, baseball is probably my favorite sport followed closely by football. I also love playing poker, and spending time with my kids.

3. How did you fall into HBD?
I was online trying to find some baseball sim games and found whatifsports.com and fell in love with HBD.

4. How many teams do you run? How many hours per week do you pour into your teams?
I currently run 5 teams. i probably spend about an hour to an hour a half on each team per week.

5. Married? Children?
I am married with 2 wonderful children. I have an 8 year old son and a 3 year old daughter who thinks that she's the boss.

6. City/State you live in? Hometown where you grew up?
I live in Lafayette, IN which is the home of Purdue University. I grew up just outside of Lafayette, IN

7. Occupation? Do you check in on your teams often during the workday?
I work as a restaurant shift leader and yes i do if we are not too busy.

8. Who is your favorite baseball player of all time?
Ryne Sandberg

9. What makes you laugh?
my children

10. Top 3 all time movies?
Billy Madison
8 Men Out
The Hangover

11. What popular song past/present do you most identify with?
I really don't know if I identify with any songs.

12. Real baseball team you grew up loving? Still in love with them?
Chicago Cubs-I will always love the Cubs no matter how stupid it may be:)

13. Tell me 2 things you wish you knew about particular AU owners?
I enjoy playing against the other people in Addicted Users. I hope to get to know all of you a little better and that you all like the 20 questions idea, so we can all get to know each other a little better.

14. You're fairly outspoken as a AU owner. Why?
I am outspoken in real life as well. I normally have an opinion about something, but i think that the great thing about life is that not everyone agrees and that we can all hopefully come to compromises on most things. I think it's important that people feel free to express opinions in a respectful manner.

15. What is your GM philosophy?
pitching and up the middle defense surrounded by very good, quality hitting

16. Any special meaning for your WIS nickname? Your AU team name?
not at all. i'm not very creative with my nicknames

17. Who is/was your favorite AU owner? Why?
i'm not sure i have a favorite. i like everyone here.

18. Which MLB Commissioner do you admire or identify with most? Why?
i don't know if i admire him and i certainly don't identify with him but i think that bud selig has done a better job than most people think. he has made a few mistakes, but i think overall the game is in a very good place now.

19. General pet peeves about the HBD game?
i wish that they would tweak the ditr's more. there still isn't much improvement in most of those players and i've still never had a ditr who became a major league player

20. If I was AU Commish for a day I would...
do whatever gb69 continues to have been doing. he is a great commish

First Power Rankings for the 2nd Week of Season 19!!

2011-05-21T19:51:00.004-05:00

This is my first ever power rankings and I'm sorry it's a little late for the week and i'll try and get them up sooner from now on.

1. Louisville Sluggers(43-11)-Best overall record and is tied for the most wins over the last week with Salem.

2. Boston EliteDucks(38-16)-Best record in the NL and has the second most wins over the course of the past week. Also has the best run differential in the majors.

3. Florida Fire Sailfish(31-23)-Even though Florida is second in their division they have the majors fourth best record and fifth best run differential and expected winning percentage in the majors.

4. Madison Clansmen(30-24)-The upstart Clansmen currently have the sixth best record in the majors and are also tied with the EliteDucks for the 3 most wins in the past week.

5. Salem Senators(32-22)-Sporting the majors third best record and tied for the most wins this past week with the Sluggers. However the Senators might be overachieving a little bit because they also have the ninth best expected winning percentage and run differential.

6. Buffalo Wings(31-23)-Buffalo has picked up where it left off last season owning the NL North first place spot again. Even though they have struggled some in the past week, this franchise seems poised to try and run away with their division again.

7. Philadelphia Chases Aces(30-24)-Tedpsu has this team playing very well. They are tied with the NL's fourth best record and have the majors seventh best run differential.

8. San Diego Blue Sox(29-25)-The Blue Sox have been playing very solid in a very tough NL West division. Although they currently are tied with the majors 10th best record, they have the 4th best run differential and if that continues to happen will quickly catch the division leading Senators.

9. Boise Browncoats(30-24)-The Boise franchise has been a symbol of excellence for many seasons and are hoping to make this season no exception. As a team they haven't been exceptional, but they have been very solid and hope to continue that throughout the season.

10. Detroit Grass Lakes(30-24)-The Grass Lakes edge out the New Orleans Freebeads because of a slightly better record. They are an overachieving bunch so far with the sixth best record in the majors but they currently have a -21 run differential. They will need to start scoring more runs if they want to stay in the top ten of the power rankings.

Other Award Winners

2011-03-22T10:39:00.001-05:00

Blue Blazer (greatest stolen base threat): Quinn Smith Rattled off 74 steals this season a career high and was only caught 8 times (90.2%) Hon Mention: Chad Mora 57 steals (90.5%).

Rifle Arm (best outfield arm) Glen Thomas 16 assists from CF in just 93 games. Stop running on his arm. Hon Mention: Kiki Seguignol 15 assists in just over 140 games.

Bill Buckner (1^st baseman with most errors but lots of assists) : Terrence Cooper The 118 assists rank 2^nd in the bigs, but 6 errors and 5 negative plays lead me to believe he got them from being to slow to run to 1^st base for the easy out.

Bash Brothers (team with Best Overall power): Toros 10 players with double digits in HR led by White, Thebeau, Logan and Yamaguchi who all had over 30. Hon Mention: EliteDucks 5 players with over 30 homers but only 8 in double digits.

The Mid-80’s Cards (All speed no pop team): Senators 114 Homers, 248 steals with 5 players swiping more then 25 this past season. Hon Mention:Seadogs 105 homers, 204 steals with two players combining for 114 of them.

Human Vacuum (Shortstop who gets to the most balls): Wiki Cortes This kid tracks down everything 28 Positive plays, 2^nd most PO and the most assists, just call him Hoover.

The Express (pitcher with most k’s and bb’s per 9 innings): Tony Blair Almost 8 K’s per 9 innings but also 3.5 walks.

Mike Hampton ( Better hitter then pitcher award): Humberto Astacio 12 hits and .375 avg, also stole a base. Meanwhile throw 90 innings and had a WHIP on the plus side of 1.70 and an ERA of almost 8.00

Drafting for the Future Part #6

2011-01-27T15:22:00.001-05:00

Fresno Primetimers

Season #1 and #2

Joel Buck 7^th, Pitcher, 0 points

Juan Romero 9^th, SS, 0 points

Earl Dodd 44^th, Pitcher, 0 points

No picks from the first two seasons signed up to play. Surprising since Camp was a rather solid GM.

Season #3 and #4

Ivan Roth 23^rd, SP, 36 points

Trent Duran 37^th, Relief, 25 points

Vance Curtis 50^th, LR, 26 points

3 picks by camp in the season 3 draft resulted in three awful players. Season 4 he had no picks in the first round.

4 year score: 15/100

Possibly one of the worst drafters ever. However camp kept his team a winner for 13 seasons by doing a lot of other things right.

Hartford Storm

Season #1

Dustan Poole 14^th, CF, 72 points

Tim Ducey 36^th, Relief, 20 points

I would rather have Rob Ducey then Tim. Dustan Poole however was a pretty good pick at 14. Almost 200 homeruns and over 200 steals in his career.

Season #2

Omar Crespo 15^th, SP, 52 points

Crespo won double digits three times in his career but never achieved the greatness that projected for him.

Season #3

Gordon Damon 12^th, RF, 67 points

Moments of greatness for Damon. Peak of his career was a 20/20 season when his also drove in 102 runs with a .307 average

Season #4

Juan Hernandez 3^rd, RF, 48 points

Never panned out like they hoped, a #3 pick should be a hall of famer. His weakness of being unable to hit lefties kept him from winning an everyday job.

4 year score: 52/100

A few hits but a mostly misses. No one ever overachieved leading to a rather average score.

Hall of Fame Season 18

2011-01-20T09:30:00.002-05:00

Hardball Dynasty's

Joey Montgomery

It’s once again time for the Hall of Fame to announce this year’s inductees. This year’s ballot included several notable players from the early days of this world; however it will be Joey Montgomery that will forever be remembered as the player inducted to the Addicted User HOF in season 18.

Like most awards his selection was somewhat controversial. He seemed to be something of a dark horse with a handful of other players appearing to be shoo-ins. Yet the voters felt that his career numbers were sufficient to surpass his peers and allow him entrance into this very exclusive club.

Montgomery spent 14 seasons in the major’s with time spent in 5 different cities. He enters the Hall wearing the Boise Browncoats cap having spent 7 seasons with them. His talents earned him 8 all star appearances as well as 2 Cy Young awards. Joey was also able to pick up 212 wins with 82 complete games and a 3.96 career ERA.

This year’s ballot seemed to include the names of several future HOF inductees and next years ballot should present an even more difficult selection process for voters as more former stars become eligible for induction.

Drafting for the Future Part #5

2011-01-19T15:01:00.001-05:00

Dover Diabolicals
Season #1
Pedro Marrero 10th, CF, 63 points

Worion guided this team for the first three seasons and even won a world series in season #2. Marrero was a bit of a flash in the pain with some nice seasons, 31-103-20-.246. But a low average and lots of K’s cut his career short.

Score: 63/100

Season #2
Dennys Clifton 22nd, RF, 80 points

Clifton was a bit of a beast for a about 6 seasons. He averaged 30 homers and about 90 RBI while batting .280. Not bad for a gold glove quality RF’er.

Score: 80/100

Season #3
Heath Kirwan 27th, P, 0 Points
Sidney Martin 28th, C, 77 points
Christopher Keeler 34th, REL, 0 points

Ouch, Kirwan never signed and Keeler pitcher under 30 innings in the minors. Martin is perhaps the best platoon catcher in the history of baseball. Has only once played more then 100 games but has almost 300 career homers and a great . 311 average.

Score: 26/100

Season #4
Kyle Jackson 25th, UTIL, 23 points
Mark Feliciano 47th, RF, 51 points

Saluki took over as GM and drafted two duds. Jackson is a none factor with 34 major league at bats. Feliciano looked like a solid 20/20 player for a handful of seasons but a bad attitude kept him from reaching his full potential.

Score: 37/100

4 Year Score: 42/100 worion started off pretty strong but some missed signings and failed developmental possibilities drags the overall score down.

Florida Fire Sailfish

Season #1
No Picks

Season #2
Curt Wells 4th, P, 0 Points

Jmercer joined our happy family in season two and was rewarded with the 4th overall pick that season. Too bad Curt Wells wanted a ten million bonus to sign. Luckily he was able to sign international free agent Alex Jose and draft Barry Kirby, Justin Winston in the 2nd and 5th rounds. But still those last two are more lucky then anything.

Score: 0/100

Season #3
Jeff Nixon 4th, LR, 62 points
Vic James 47th, LR, 68 points

In season three mercer grabbed two solid but not spectacular arms. They have combined for about 100 wins and a 5.00 ERA.

Score: 65/100

Season #4
Ivan Gonzalez 16th, CF, 83 points

One of the fastest smoothest fielding players in league history. Gonzalez is on his way to 600+ steals and 2000+ hits for his career.

Score: 83/100

4 year score: 54/100 not bad, but the missing out on Curt Wells when players like Alfonso Tejera, Mark Jones and Clayton Hairston could have been drafted.

Drafting for the Future Part #4

2011-01-18T15:09:00.002-05:00

Cleveland Penguins
Season #1
Bey Morris 11th, RF, 87 points
Bruce Hentgen 43rd, 2nd, 68 points

Some guy named highvolta6e played one season of HBD and actually did a solid job drafting. Bey has way over 2000 hits and just over 400 homers in a solid career. Hentgen was a gold glove 2nd baseman and carried a decent stick.

Score: 77/100

Season #2
Stan Allensworth 12th, LF, 56 points
Jon Joseph 18th, RF, 0 points

Season 2 saw another one season owner hutzelgreg finished well under 500 in his only season and drafted two stiffs in the 1st round. Allensworth didn’t reach the majors until rigbystarr took over and started doing some sensible things with the team, by then his career clock was counting down and there wasn’t much left in the tank. Joseph never signed a contract

Score: 29/100

Season #3
Todd Lofton 1st, LR, 64 points
Dewayne Lowery 48th, SP, 0 points
Marc Leach 54th SP, 0 points

Another single season owner, flipdog was blessed with three first round picks to try and save this franchise. Leach and Lowery never made it to the show. Lofton the 1st overall pick was subject to such bad coaching to the start of his career had a 8.84 ERA in AAA before rigby took over. After that he was pretty solid but never as good as he should have been.

Score: 18/100

Season #4
Earl Slaughter 4th, SP, 53 points

The trend continued as escalator took over for one season and dragged this team even further down. His 4th overall selection, Slaughter, was another player poorly used until rigby showed up, a career 75-95 record with a plus 5.00 ERA is not what you want from a 4th pick.

Score: 53/100

4 year score: 41/100 Some solid players were selected but due to the revolving door at the ownership level its hard to say how good these players COULD have been.

Detroit Grass Lakes

Season #1
Bruce Phillips 12th, SP, 78 points

Cj has been the one and only owner of this team so lets see what type of job he did drafting in the early seasons…and did his picks have anything to do with his lone WS title in season 12. Phillips was 8-8 in the WS year but was awesome in the playoffs going 3-1 with a 3.14 ERA. A solid pick at #12 he has a solid 110-85 career record

Score: 78/100

Season #2
Mark Jones 8th, SS, 84 points

Cj traded him away in season 5 so he never played a game in the majors for the team that drafted him. But he has had a great career with gold gloves at 3rd base, 2000+ hits and 300+ homers.

Score: 84/100

Season #3
Jed Riske 11th, RF, 72 points

Riske was a 20/20 guy during the WS season, also batted .383 in the playoffs with 3 homers and 4 steals. He retired with 1000 hits, 150 homers and 100 steals. Not bad.

Score: 72/100

Season #4
Donovan Austin 19th, SP, 85 points
Marshall Golub 43rd, LR, 60 points
Tony Guerrero 56th, REL, 57 points
Reginald Powell 61st, CF, 35 points

Cj scored pretty well again in season 4. Austin won 17 games in the WS year and has a 140-92 lifetime record with a few more good seasons under his belt for sure. Golub has bounced around a little bit before coming back to Detroit to retire. He finished with a solid .500 record. Guerrero never played for Detroit but did manage 20 career wins and 7 saves in just over 400 IP. Powell is still bouncing around AAA. In his best season he stole 46 bases….but has only 3 more after that.

Score: 59/100

4 Year Score: 68/100 Cj was more about quality then quantity. It seems the less picks he is given the better he does. I don’t see any hall of famers but I do see 4 very solid picks.

AL West Season Preview

2011-01-15T18:59:00.001-05:00

Boise Browncoats (90-72, 2nd)

Last season Evan43 did a masterful job with this team as he squeezed every win possible out of his team. Barely scoring more runs than the hurlers allowed should have kept this team around .500, yet somehow they captured 90 wins. Spending 4 seasons stuck in 2nd place Boise has continually frustrated Boise as they haven’t be able to find a way to win the division. Pete Williams, Max Chavez & Alfonso Tejara will be joined by the recently signed Joey Taylor to form a very formidable offensive attack. The loss of Bobby Stephenson will hurt a rather thin pitching staff. The ageless Felipe Cairo is still closing out games with the best around and Dan Gonzales had 13 wins last season, tops amongst the returning pitchers. Everyone is another year older which may help the younger players; however with 15 players over 30 (including 10 position players) age is working against the Browncoats more than for them. Reaching 90 wins again will be a very difficult task which will more than likely leave this team in 2nd but lacking far behind San Jose.

Prediction: 86-76

Portland Seadogs (64-98, 4th)

It’s very tough to have a winning record when you allow your opponents to score 900 runs, it’s impossible to have a winning record if your team can only score 680 runs in response. In the past 13 seasons the Seadogs have finish in the cellar 11 times and it’s been 12 seasons since they’ve been able to end the season above .500. Scoring runs will again be a problem as Wayne Smalley & Alex Granger are the only players that put up decent numbers last season. The pitching staff should be better especially after adding Jolbert Cordero & Bobby Stephenson. Unfortunately a weak defense and anemic offense will leave little margin of error for the hurlers so even strong performances may be wasted by a lack of support. This won’t be the year for a departure from 4th place, however if additional bats and stronger gloves are brought in this team may once again head towards respectability.

Prediction: 68-94

San Jose Giants (103-59, 1st)

Build a well balanced team and your team can win 3 consecutive division titles with back to back 103 win seasons. After flirting with leaving his team, nzballa decided his work was not yet done with the Giants. 5 players hit at least 30 HRs, with 4 of them also driving in 100 runs and they are all back. How good is the pitching? 5 pitchers had at least 14 wins and they were led by Cy Young winner Phil Corino’s 19. In most seasons Sean Brown’s 18 wins and 2.43 ERA would have been enough to win the award but how can you argue with his teammate’s victory. The only shortcoming on this team was the 17 blown saves produced by the bullpen but does it matter when you win over 100 games.

Prediction: 100-62

Vancouver Villians (84-78, 3rd)

The Villians took a small step backwards last season as they fell short of the previous year’s 89 victories. Both the pitching staff and bats had decent years yet they found themselves 19 games behind the behemoths that sit atop the division. Rob Willis (28, 128, .279) is the big bat in this lineup as power was in short supply and wasn’t addressed in the offseason. Speedsters D’Angelo Escobar (112 runs, .317, 43 SB) & Tom Riggs (96 runs, .306, 44 SB) should set the table for Willis and provide plenty of opportunities to get good pitches. Shane Coffman & Wilt Lowry were the only pitchers with 10 or more wins, and Willie Alarcon did another outstanding job in the closer role. Jvburns seems to think he can get more out of his players and has chosen to play the same hand as last season. This is a big gamble and while the pitching staff does look like it can put up better numbers the lack of power will again force his team to play small ball and manufacture runs.

Prediction: 80-82

AL South Season Preview

2011-01-15T18:58:00.000-05:00

Florida Fire Sailfish (95-67, 2nd)

The last 11 seasons have been very successful with no worse than a second place finish and a postseason appearance in 9 of them. However the postseason hasn’t gone as well as hoped with jmercer’s team yet to make it to the WS. Could this be the year that changes? David Olivo (41, 120, .296) is back for another season in the Florida sun so the offense has a dynamic leader. Luis Guillen & Lance Kelleher will be counted on to chip in but more help will be needed to regain the top spot in the division. David Acosta led the staff in wins with 16, and Greg Shelley converted 39 of his 43 save opportunities. Bounce back seasons by Al Inglesias & Bob Kelly will also be important for a team with title aspirations. The pitching staff still has a few young players developing however it’s the offense that could use some help this season if the Sailfish want to reach its goals.

Prediction: 92-70

Louisville Sluggers (96-66, 1st)

Three consecutive playoff appearances with two division titles in that time have everyone looking for big things from Louisville. While getting into the ALCS last season was their first, losing in six games left a bitter taste and a hunger for more success. Davidbutler has had all offseason to plan how to make that happen. On offense 4 players had 30 or more HR’s, 3 players drove in more than 100 runs, and 3 players hitting over .300. Clay Charles was probably the best of the bunch with 42, 107, .293 while catching 152 games. Harry Velasquez is the ace and won 23 games with 3.45 ERA. Junior Valdivia won 19 games with a 2.20 ERA in the friendly confines of Petco Park so how he adjusts to a new park will be important as will finding a new closer to replace Sun-Woo Abe. Looks like another dogfight for the division with Florida and the loser may just find themselves at home watching the playoffs.

Prediction: 91-71

Nashville Agents (50-112, 4th)

It’s been 13 seasons since this team has gotten to play in the postseason and the last two seasons have been particularly brutal with each ending in over 110 loses. A new season brings in a new owner and ARodsagent has taken on the task of changing Nashville’s fortunes. The outfield of Vin Escobar, Vincente Guerrero & Otis Boyle is very solid. Matty Cedeno had a great year in the DH slot and Parker Bennett was an inexpensive gamble that put up great numbers in Petco last year. The pitching staff last season was a total disaster with an ERA over 7. While some decent additions were made through the free agent market too many marginal talents remain on the staff to help this team escape the division’s basement. The change of home fields may drop the offenses production a little and help the pitching staff a little but until some significantly arms are added this team will continue to struggle.

Prediction: 55-107

New Orleans Freebeads (87-75, 3rd)

Are the Freebeads ready to make this a 3 team race? After a 1st place finish joshoakley’s team tumbled to last place and 63 wins but the following 2 seasons have produced a jump in victories each season and now this team seems poised for a run at the title. Rookie of the Year, Erubiel Pineda, burst onto the scene last year and promptly bashed 60 HR’s. What can he do for an encore? Hector Gonzalez is back from last season’s injury and if he can regain his previous form he will add another big bat to an already potent lineup. Ivan Alexander & Pokey Hudson were the top starters last season and Guillermo Sivilla may be ready to take over the closer role. New Orlean’s season will go as far as the pitching staff will take them, which is unfortunate because the offense looks capable of holding it’s own against any opponent.

Prediction: 91-71

AL East Season Preview

2011-01-15T18:57:00.000-05:00

New York Torrones (87-75, 2nd)

In the last 7 seasons New York has been to the playoffs 5 times, yet last season saw their 3 yr run a top the division come to an end. Tanner Magnante (39, 130, .334) is still the face of the team and he did get help from a pair of 30 HR hitters, Neifi Espinoza & Danny Fox. Abraham Orie (14-2, 2.97) & BC Garland (32 sv, 2.65) had great years but for torrone’s gang to make a serious run at the division title Glendon Green (9-15, 5.28) & Hipolito Martin (9-11, 3.95) will need to have strong seasons. The offense got a boost with the addition of Jordan Mahaffey & Woody Hoiles. Pitching on the other hand may become a concern if they can’t hold other teams in check or need to continually win slugfests.

Prediction: 89-73

Norfolk Navigators (71-91, 3rd)

Consecutive 71-91 seasons have the Navigators hoping this is the season they can climb out of the AL East basement. It appears that Spring Training will be very important for cspring as he decides who will fill the 9 opens roster spots on his ML team. Ahmed Ramirez is the lone returning position player who put up big numbers. The pitching staff is equally in trouble as Alan Lowell (9 wins) leads the returning players in wins and the top returning player in the bullpen, William Ross, will be starting the season on the DL. This looks like a team ready for a major step backwards as it rebuilds its ML roster.

Prediction: 64-98

Scranton Office Workers (90-72, 1st)

Hacker7’s first move was to relocate his team to Scranton and it seemed to work out well as he was able to take the division title. Dennis Newfield (30 HR, 95, .333), Ronn Hall (38, 116, .281) & Bailey Baptist (37, 94, .258) carry potent bats. Another ageless veteran, PJ Stanton (13-6, 4.77) and Vin Guevara (6-2, 18 sv, 2.21) lead a pretty ordinary pitching staff. To win another division title the Office Workers will need the pitching staff to find a way to duplicate last season’s success. If the hurlers struggle it may turn into a long season.

Prediction: 82-80

Washinton D.C. Abnormals (71-91, 3rd)

The Abnormals start their 4th season with diabeticrock at the controls. It’s been 8 seasons since their last playoff appearance and the fans are becoming very restless. Dolf Titan (46, 104, .283) & Al Castillo (38, 99, .260) were the leading hitters. The loss of Torey Gonzalez was a big blow to a team with only two other players reaching double digits in victories. Big seasons from Andres Cabrera & Olmedo Molina would help compensate but someone needs to step up to take on the 200 innings Gonzalez would have thrown. With some pieces in place Washington has hope for a better future but this won’t be the year they make a run at 1st place.

Prediction: 73-89

AL North Season Preview

2011-01-15T18:56:00.000-05:00

Dover Diabolicals (74-88, 4th)

No team wants to go from a 100 win season and a division crown to a last place team yet that is exactly what happened last year. Bdcelli takes over a struggling franchise that is in desperate need of a stable ownership situation. It appears spending money on players won’t be a concern as the team payroll has exceeded the $100M mark. Ramon Wang & free agent Mac Morris were acquired this offseason in an attempt to bolster the pitching staff. The offensive shortcomings of last season were also addressed as free agents: Trevor Vina, Jiggs Craddock, Donald Huang & Miguel Palacios, as was Derek Lloyd who came over in a trade. It’s yet to be seen how these mores will work out but you must give the new owner credit for at least attempting to do everything possible to get into the playoff race.

Prediction: 85-77

Iowa City Barnstormers (78-84, 2nd)

Only twice in team history has this team finished above .500 and the only playoff appearance occurred 3 seasons ago. The question then becomes has sccrplyr16 made the right moves to allow this team to compete and do it on a regular basis? Ronnie Patrick is still developing yet appears ready to show he can lead the staff. In the pen, Phil Bannister did a solid job as the closer. Dom Costcarart, Koyie Williams & Vincente Rios can mash with the best. However the defense seems a little shaky at several positions so it looks like another year hovering around .500 for the Barnstormers.

Prediction: 75-87

Minnesota Twinkies (75-87, 3rd)

As if being named after a snack cake wasn’t bad enough, this team has languished at the bottom of the division for the last 4 seasons. Fans are hoping that last year was a precursor to a bigger jump this season. The Twinkies are hoping that youngsters Hideki Zhang & Lorenzo Guillen will provide some quality innings for the pitching staff. Sluggers Gerry Allen (48, 134, .362) & Billy Corey (33, 115, .332) are back for another season and they come with several young players looking for a chance to show what they can do. Hitting should not be a problem; however brentnet will most likely find his team’s success will be held back by a pitching staff not quite strong enough to help get them to the playoffs.

Prediction: 82-80

Toronto Toros (85-77, 1st)

Finishing only 8 games over .500 allowed the Toros to return to the playoffs after a 5 yr absence and in a surprising finish defeated Durham to win the franchises 3rd WS trophy. Steve Wells (33, 99, .317) was the leading hitter last season but 22 yr old phenom Rich White (30, 81, .285) seems poised to pass him as the offensive leader. On the hill 4 pitchers reached double digits in victories yet it was a collective effort and no one really stood out for this unit. Youngsters like Connie Gosling, Martin Saito, Pedro Lugo and recently acquired Lloyd Keefe will be called on to step up for goldenboy69’s team. Can this team repeat? Yes, they were a longshot to even get in the WS so why would this season offer them any bigger challenge. Even with the changes in roles and players on the pitching staff it looks like their effectiveness or lack thereof will determine Toronto’s fate.

Prediction: 84-78

Drafting for the Future Part #3

2011-01-14T16:07:00.000-05:00

Charlotte Jordans

Season #1
Jack Minor Utility, 15th 47 points
Matthew Roberts 3rd, 39th, 42 points
Benny Beltran CF, 50th, 78 points

Gerald007 was the GM for season 1 and did a passable job with the draft. Never a good sign when your first player drafted is classified as a Utility player, but that’s what Jack Minor was, a speedy jack of all trades. Roberts was a solid 4th OF/PH for a few seasons but never really found his home in the majors. The best of the bunch was Beltran who was a solid CF’er that looks to have ended his career with almost 300 steals.

Score: 56/100

Season #2
Ed Zeile Relief, 23rd, 76 points

Season two saw another new owner, GDfan, he drafted a solid young relief pitcher that three times in his career had more then 29 saves. A very solid arm out of the pen he also had three seasons of more then 100 innings. Solid picks of Che-Bang Lee 2nd round (1500+ hits) and Mike Anderson 3rd round ( 1400 hits, 240 steals) were also had by gdfan.

Score: 76/100

Season #3
Bingo Dixon RF, 31st, 65 points
Trent Schmidt 3rd, 33rd 71 points

Finally lovemlb joined the team and put his stamp on them. His first season of drafting was actually pretty successful. Dixon was a good but not great right fielder. Over 1000 career hits and 150 homers. Schmidt was slightly flashier and enjoyed a longer career. Peak season saw him hit 32 homers and come up 3 short of 100 RBI.

Score: 68/100

Season #4
Bruce Munoz SP, 44th, 53 points
Donatello Matthews SP, 57th, 44 points

In his 2nd season lovemlb started to really work on screwing this team up. Munoz had some solid seasons but a career ERA of almost 6 is not good. Matthews was even worse, despite pitching over 1500 innings in the majors he couldn’t get his ERA below 7.10 for his career.

Score: 48/100

4 year Score: 60/100 a barely passing grade, if not for marginal stars like Zeile and Beltran this would have been a sub 50 score.

Chicago Cosby Sweaters

Season #1
Buddy Henley LR, 31st, 58 points

Hawk27 ran this franchise for its first 7 seasons and did a pretty solid job on the field winning over 85 games in all but his last season with the team. Henley was his first pick and was good at the best of times and awful at the worst.
Score: 58/100

Season #2
NA

Hawk went big on free agents and did not get a pick until the 3rd round.

Season #3
Mel Haywood 1st, 29th 85 points

Late first round seems to be the place to get big hitting 1st basemen. Haywood seems to be getting better with age. At 33 he has just over 2000 career hits and 375 homers. While not a lock at the HOF…yet. He will if he keeps putting up numbers like last seasons 35-117-.353

Score: 85/100

Season #4
Carlos Colon CF, 20th, 61 points

After a strong season #15 Colon went to play ball in Japan. Back in Chicago now he is hoping to play himself back into a job at the majors. Great fielder and baserunner.

Score 61/100

4 Year Score: 68/100 hawk27 did pretty good with his late picks. I would have liked to have seen what he could have done with this team as they started to fall in the standings.

Season 18 Preview NL West

2011-01-14T10:10:00.002-05:00

Fresno Primetimers (92-70, 3rd)

A team that finished with the 4th best ERA in Addicted Users and scored 150 more runs than they allowed would seem like a sure bet to make the playoffs. That wasn’t the case in the tough NL west. Closer Ryan Politte is the leader of the pitching staff and finished with 45 saves in 50 chances. Terrence Cooper, Freddy Franco & Ernest Payton carry the big bats for the Fresno but will need some more contributions from their friends this season. With 17 players 30 or older this team’s window of opportunity is closing fast. Primetime17 will need to start making tough decisions soon on when to start tearing this team apart and if they fall out of contention early it may start this year.

Prediction: 90-72

Honolulu LuauDawgs (96-66, 1st)

10 more victories last season than the previous year propelled the LuauDawgs from last place to 1st. Yet there continued lack of playoff success haunts this team as all but one of their playoff appearances have ended in the 1st round, as last years did. $20M man Tony Blair leads the 2nd ranked pitching staff with 18 wins and a 3.12 ERA. He’ll need to at least do the same until Malcolm Sandberg returns from the DL. Omar Estrada put up MVP numbers (37, 135, .312) and will need to do it again. With some key contributors leaving this may be a bit of transition season and may hinge on how rockydawg fills out his roster.

Prediction: 94-68

Salem Senators (93-69, 2nd)

The pitching rich NL west included the San Diego franchise. In a move geared to help lower the frustration of the hitters, grissom97 has moved the team to Salem. This may be a wise move or it could cause be a disaster if the pitching staff doesn't adjust quickly to their new surroundings. In an attempt to off set any problems that may arise from the move several roster changes have been made. RF Morris Grace was added to provide another long ball hitter, while the veteran arms of Victor Colome, Vincente Domingo & Louis Henley were added to compensate for the more hitter friendly dimensions in Salem. A move to a new park brings pitfalls as well as opportunities and the wheeling & dealing done in the offseason had better work or it will be a long season for a team that finished 3 games out last season and hopes to improve on that.

Prediction: 90-72

Scottsdale Hohokams (92-70, 3rd)

Last years team was well balanced with both the pitching staff and offense ranking high. Unfortunately this didn’t translate into more than a good record and higher expectations for this season as the Hohokams missed the playoffs. New owner gaheel84 decided that a in state move to the more hitter friendly park in Scottsdale would be just what this franchise needed. Sluggers Clarence Levis, Lou Beamon & Jumbo Neruda should find their new home very much to their liking. On the other hand 15 game winners, Bruce Phillips & Hulk Morris, and closer Tom Holmes may become homesick rather quickly. Again moving to a new ballpark can be a little tricky and while this will create more offense the adverse affect to the pitching staff may be more than anticipated.

Prediction: 89-73

Season 18 Preview NL South

2011-01-14T10:10:00.001-05:00

Charlotte Jordans (57-105, 4th)

This team’s fans haven't had anything to cheer about in a long time and last year was no exception. The new owner, richelle, felt like a move to Charlotte would help cut ties with this franchises longtime failures. However building with youth and an eye to the future will not make things get better quickly. Roy Gordon & Ahmad Gabriel are building blocks that can be counted on now as well as in the future. Rule 5 pickup George Governale also shows some promise that can help a rebuilding team. The pitching staff appears to be in total disarray. Unfortunately there isn’t much more help and this season looks like another struggle with only the hope of not finishing in the cellar as a realistic goal.

Prediction: 55-107

Jacksonville Fake Empires (83-79, 1st)

6 consecutive division titles in St Louis wasn’t enough to keep this team’s ownership in place and to get a fresh start they’ve moved the team to Jacksonville. The starting rotation that included Cela, Coles & Martin was strong and deserved better support than they received last season. Tim Parker will again anchor the bullpen so shutting the door on opponents will be in very capable hands. Jody Lara & Louie Rigdon lead an offense that finished with a team batting avg ranked 25th in the majors. Improved production from C, 1B & RF would go a long way to helping this team go further in the playoffs but this year’s success may be determined by how well the pitching staff does in their new home.

Prediction: 86-76

San Juan Tax Evaders (69-93, 2nd)

It’s been 6 yrs since kevmax’s team has won the division and with only one finish above .500 in that time the Tax Evaders fans are neither happy nor showing up to the park. Last season opponents scored 100 more runs than were pushed across by San Juan. Starters Chance Perez & Pat Lawrence had decent seasons, as did relievers Mario Gaston & Cody Melton. However they will need to put up better numbers this season if this team hopes to make the .500 mark. Mel Haywood is a hitting machine that racked up MVP like numbers; unfortunately his teammates didn’t offer much support. Without more offensive firepower it will be left up to the hurlers to limit their opponent’s runs as was the case last season. A repeat of last season’s success is the most likely scenario for this coming season.

Prediction: 70-92

Santa Fe Let’s Play (69-93, 2rd)

Playing in a hitter’s paradise has position players drooling when coming to Santa Fe and the home team did score over 800 runs last season. Unfortunately pitchers have nightmares about taking the mound in this launching pad and with over 1000 runs allowed bbwinnow will need to find a way to control the other teams offense if he has any playoff aspirations. At the plate Babe Denny, Clem Scott and newly acquired Mike Woodard should power the offense. Chad Scott has a big bat but lacks the defensive skills to play in the NL and is more suited to a DH role in the AL. On the mound Gregg Beard did better than his record would indicate. As would be expected from a team that allowed so many runs last season there is little else toeing the rubber to mention in a positive way.

Prediction: 67-95

Season 18 Preview NL East

2011-01-14T10:09:00.000-05:00

Boston Elite Ducks (108-54, 1st)

In the last four seasons this franchise has won the division 3 times and the WS title twice. However in a surprise move a new owner has taken over, moved the team and it will have to be seen if can maintain the level of excellence of the last few seasons. A typical team would be in trouble if it allowed 800 runs, unless of course you're able to push 1000 runs across the plate like this team. Craig Velandia (58, 140, .360) is a masher but Miguel Palacios & Pedro Canseco hit 30 HR and drove in 100 RBI’s so he isn’t alone. On the mound 20 game winner Clarence Wood and lights out closer Willie Martinez (38 saves/38 opps) are back. Unfortunately success also brings bigger paychecks so not everyone from last year will be back and more difficult decisions will need to be made in the future. A fourth division title should be in the cards but it may not be as easy this year.

Prediction: 99-63

Chicago Cosby Sweaters (55-107, 4th)

It’s been a long time since this team has had the players to compete for a playoff spot and fans will need to wait a while longer as new owner pieo has asked for some patience as he rebuilds through the farm system. This may be the last season for Adam Sadler & Ivan Oliveras with the team. While both were able to smack 30 HR’s last season, players over 30 usually aren’t around long on rebuilding teams. With a team ERA of 5.62, no pitcher with more than 9 wins and four players with 10 or more loses there really isn’t a lot positive to say about the hurlers. A last place finish is guaranteed and last seasons 55 wins doesn’t look like it will be an easy level to reach.

Prediction: 48-114

Hartford Storm (95-67, 2nd)

This team owned the division before their reign came to an end 3 seasons ago. Still dangerous, it has been frustrated by the juggernaut that resided in Durham and tbarden hopes this is the year they can regain the top slot. Big years from hurlers Malcolm Rowe & Wilfredo Encarnacion would go a long way to helping the team reach that goal. On the offensive side Eric Murphy (46, 126, .330), Lorenzo Gabriel (41, 122, .321) & Germany Bradley (44, 120, .261) supply much of the fire power. The effectiveness of the pitching staff will determine how far this team will go and if Boston slips at all they might be ready to take advantage.

Prediction: 98-64

Philadelphia Meoples (90-72, 3rd)

This is the 4th season that the team will be under the control of s_gammon, unfortunately Philly is in a division with 2 powerhouse teams. So the question is have improvements been made to allow them to bang heads with the division leaders. Manny Wainhouse (18 wins) & A.J Freeman (17 wins) led the rotation but it was felt that more help was needed so Vince Livingstone and Diego Garza were added through free agency. Donald Matsuzaka (43, 134) wields the big bat but really needs more help and that wasn't addressed this off season. The pitching staff should make this team capable of staying with Hartford & Boston, and if the offense can increase its production then there may be a 3 team battle for the division title.

Prediction: 94-68

Season 18 Preview NL North

2011-01-14T10:03:00.001-05:00

Buffalo Wings (94-68, 1st )

After a 2 yr stay in the cellar, drutes has rebuilt his team and it is the 2 time reigning division champ. The offense starts with Gerardo Espinoza (1B), who hit 46 HR and drove in 109 runs. But this isn’t a one man show as Carlos Arias & Albert Perkins can also swing the bat. Buffalo dipped into the free agent market to pick up Archie Aldridge, it’s yet to be determined where he’ll play but a $12M player won’t be sitting on the bench. Pedro Alarcon anchors the rotation and sets the tone for a solid pitching staff that had a team ERA of 4.09 last season. The Wings division foes will be hard pressed to stop this team from adding to their string of division crowns.

Prediction: 92-70

Burlington Coat Factories (62-100, 4th)

Last season’s record was not surprising for a team that allowed almost 200 more runs than they scored. Rebuilding this team will not happen over night even for a veteran owner like kingbraden. Steve Hoffman is a talented young pitcher to build a team around however the anemic offensive attack that will support him will most likely waste some good outings. Braden Hughes & Homer Plesac are the highest paid players on the team and will need to dramatically increase their production to justify their salaries. It looks like another long season in Burlington and avoiding another 100 loss season would be a major accomplishment.

Prediction: 56-106

Cleveland Penquins (69-93, 2nd)

Back to back 1st place finishes have been followed by two 2nd place finishes and fewer wins each season. The question is has rigbystarr done enough to once again get this franchise headed back in the right direction and challenge Buffalo for the division title. The pitching was solid for the most part and with a little more offensive support would have kept this team from dropping below .500. The loss of Jolbert Cordero leaves this team looking for an ace. Part time starters Red Maxwell (12 wins) & Daniel Poppell (11 wins) were the only pitchers to hit double digits in wins. Joey Taylor will be missed behind the plate as will his 26 HR. Ty Leon and Guillermo Andujar are the deep threats but will need to up their production if this team is to take a step forward instead of another step back. The current major league roster suggests this will be a long season by the lake.

Prediction: 65-97

Detroit Grass Lakes (68-94, 3rd)

When your team scores 150 less runs than their opponents it is hard to expect anything other than a sub .500 record and that’s exactly what cjperritt’s club did. The pitching and defense are ok and with a little improvement could make a big jump. The offense on the other hand needs some major help. Everett Bochtler, Harry Torcato & Raymond Steele are solid starters that can eat innings. J.R. Gray & F.P. Koskie are the offensive stars with Koskie now 30 the question is, will he still be around when this team is ready to compete. Detroit may be able to move up to 2nd in this division but that will still be a long way from the division leaders.

Prediction: 72-90

Drafting for the Future part #2

2011-01-13T11:11:00.001-05:00

Buffalo Wings
Season # 1
Pat Long 24th, CF, 80 points
The only GM of this team has been drutes, and he did a solid job with his only 1st round pick in season #1. Pat Long is a solid defender and a good stick man who stand s a good chance at reaching at least 2500 hits. Not much power or speed but always finding a way to get on base is his main asset.
Score: 80/100
Season #2
No draft picks, no score.
Season # 3
Ramiro Guevara 10th, RF, 93 points
Wow, Guevara is just 8 homers shy of 600. Once hit 74 homers in a season with almost 200 RBI. He has won a Gold Glove, ROY, multiple MVPS and a All-Star game MVP award. All this out of a guy that nine teams passed on.
Score: 93
Season #4
Michael McDonald 26th , C, 65 points
Chili Ricarrdi 48th , SS, 48 points
Another two quality picks by drutes. Mcdonald looked like he was going to be a star for a few seasons but settled on being a very solid platoon catcher. Ricarrdi also had two very strong seasons but then fell back and was nothing more then a utility player.
Score: 57/100
4 year Score: 76/100 Drutes set the bar very high with his early drafting and also set his team up for success. As you can see they were one of the more solid teams right up till season 13.

Burlington Coat Factories
Season # 1
Barry McCall 21st, 2nd, 50 points
Not sure what happened here, kingbraden made a solid pick with Mccall but never seemed to give him the shot he deserved. Put up monster numbers at AAA for 6 straight seasons before getting a call. Maybe not a true second baseman but i feel he could have helped sooner. They also drafted hard hitting first baseman Barry McCall 75th overall and has over 350 career homers.
Score: 50/100
Season #2
Leonardo Mackowiak 31st, 1st, 85 points
2nd last pick of the official 1st round and King grabbed himself a stud 1st baseman. He has since retired but finished his career with 455 homers and a solid .280 avg.
Score: 85-100
Season #3
Norm Bunch 18th, CF, 52 points
Manny Carter 30th, SS, 67 points
No stars here but king was able to grab two solid players. Carter was a gold glover at SS and Bunch a decent BU CF.
Score: 60-100
Season #4
B.J. Curtis 24th, SP, 62 points
Mo Webster 46th, RF, 47 points
Alberto Azocar 59th, 2nd, 0 points
Harry Bryne 62nd, SP, 70 points
All in all another solid draft for king, grabbed three solid players all after 24th overall. Curtis and Bryne would be a solid 3-4 punch for any rotations and Webster was an ideal 4th Ofer
Score: 45-100
4 year Score: 64, king has done a solid job considering how late he usally drafts, never once drafting in the top ten.

Drafting for the Future Part #1

2011-01-12T15:23:00.001-05:00

Boise Browncoats
Season #1
Mateo Rosado 27th, SS, 67 points
Ugueth Ramirez 34th , LR, 30 points
Craig Cunningham 49th , LR, 0 points

This draft was handled by Mgreenwell, not sure what happened to him but he was one of my favorite people to compete against. He was smart, crafty and fair. This was not a great draft for him however. Cunningham never made the show and Ramirez barely had time for the coffee to cool down in his stops at the bigs. Rosado was a pretty solid pick at 27th. A versatile MIF he won a gold glove at 2nd base and two World Series rings. Not much a stick man however.

Score: 33/100 not great but considering they didn’t draft until 27th it’s not all that bad.

Season #2
Alfonso Tejera 5th, LF, 96 Points

Almost a perfect draft pick, Alfonso was the only selection they had in the 1st round and he has not disappointed. He has put up several MVP type seasons and his career is shaping up into a sure in for the hall of fame. The fact that he wasn’t first overall is almost mind boggling. A crafty pick by greenwell who also selected Stevie Bonilla 118th overall, that is 4000 hits between those two.

Score: 96/100

Season #3
Gene Oquist 15th , 1st, 79 points
Lee Helton 42nd, SU, 78 points

Another solid draft class from mgreenwell. Oquist is a gold glove quality 1st baseman that has had a good career and the numbers to back it up. Helton while no star has been a ML pitcher for 12 seasons now, once an all-star and a World Series winner. Neither is going to the hall of fame but both are the types of players quality organizations can build on.

Score: 78/100

Season #4
Lee Helton 30th, 2nd, 84 points

A real steal at 30th overall, on pace for 2000 career hits, 300 homers and 400 steals. Players like this are what made Salem and now Boise so tough to play against. Multi talented players who played way better then most of us ever thought.

Score: 84/100

Four Year Score: 73/100 73 may not seem like much but I would compare it to picking an all-star player with every pick in the first round. A team that does that is going to be tough to beat.

Boston EliteDucks
Season #1
Mandy Patterson 20th , 2nd, 55 points
Albert Pulido 29th, CF, 81 points
Rich Speaker 47th, LR, 48 points

A pretty good job of drafting by rprsn who only spent one season in addicted users. Speaker was a useable major league pitcher for a time. Patterson has played every position in the bigs except pitcher and catcher. While not a great hitter or runner his usefulness has seen him stick around long enough to get almost 1500 career hits. The real gem is Pulido, a 29th pick that has smashed 449 homers in his career.

Score: 61/100

Season #2
T.J. Black 14th, SU, 0 points

Ouch this one hurts, wolvie14 came in during season 2 and did a solid job with the big league squad but kind of dropped the ball with the drafting. No players he drafted ever made it to the majors. A 14th overall pick usually nets you some solid production but not this year.

Score: 0/100

Season #3
Quilvio Estrada 24th, 2nd, 0 Points

Once again a new owner and a failed draft. Kingdad0 came in and made his presence felt by not singing ANY of his draft picks. This sort of crap would set this team up nicely for several years of crappiness.

Score: 0/100

Season #4
Dann Bates 7th, RF, 0 Points
Joel Wall 36th, SS. 37 points

In his 2nd year of a five year run of stupidity kingdad finally managed to sign a player. Joel Wall was a back up SS at best. He was however much better the Dann Bates who never signed at all.

Score: 19/100

Four Year Score: 20/100, yeah that seems about right.

Top SS

2010-04-29T10:41:00.002-05:00

1. Juan Berroa (Bur) Last Season Unranked at 3rd. One of the weakest fielders at SS he is far and away the best offensive player. A move back to 3rd or possibly 2nd would do wonders for his overall game. At only 24 is one of the bright spots in the league.
2. Julio Duran (Fre) Last Season Unranked. Having a great bounce back season. Fielding like he always could, is also having a solid season with the bat on pace for 20 homers 20 steal and 80 rbi and a solid .290 avg.
3. Julius Serrano (Sct) Last Season Ranked 2nd. Having another strong season, perhaps better than last season as he has upped his average and OBP. Is making his claim as one of the worlds best Short Stops of all time.
4. Nash Metcalfe (Hart) Last Season Ranked 1st. Having another strong season with the bat but his defensive woes are holding him back. Another guy that could use a move to 3rd base or 2nd.
5. Ricky Lawton (Det) Last Season UnRanked. Finishing off a great career with a strong season. Making all the plays with the glove and is among the better hitters as always. Potential hall of famer.
6. Dolf Titan (Mon) Last Season Unranked. Playing better defense then most would have expected. If he could steal he would the best offensive player at SS. But because he cant he ranks behind Berroa in that case.
7. Angel Castillo (Dur) Last Season 5th. Young player that has taken a bit of a step back. His fielding is slightly improved but his offense has kind of leveled off. With his skills however he should be part of the top ten for years to come.
8. Max Gutierrez (NwB) Last Season Unranked. Played all over the diamond last season. Now a solid SS that is one of the top fielders in the game.
9. Max Chavez (Boi) Last Season 8th. While his ranking has gone down, I feel he is actually getting better. Offense is improved slightly, as has his defense. Just needs to run a little more and he will break the top 5.
10. Derrek Beltre (Aug) Last Season Unranked. Winding down a very solid career. Still runs well and his glove isn’t awful. This may be his last stand on the top ten.

The Worst Three.
3. Claude Seaton
2. Francis Bennett
1. Ewell Hansell

AL WEST SNAPSHOT

2010-04-17T17:53:00.006-05:00

AL WEST

BOISE BROWNCOATS- Evan43 is the reigning AL champ, and he's got the Browncoats off to another good start this year. As of this writing they are 21 games over .500 at 47-26 and leading the West by 3 games. Made a splash by signing 2B Carlton Roosevelt, who has hit 14 HRs but is hitting only .244. FA RP Patrick York(3-0, 1.99 ERA) has bee effective. Boise is in the top 5 in the league both on offense and in pitching. Evan's club is led by a number of hitting stalwarts. Gold Glove CF Clayton Hairston(.322, 15 SB) has moved over to LF, but is still effective. 4 time MVP C Olmedo Rivas(.322, 17 HR) is now the full time DH. Former LF Alfonso Tejera(.304, 15 HR) has a great resume(6 time AS, 4 time Silver Slugger, 3 Gold Gloves) and is still at the top of his game. Trade acquisition 3B Jumbo Neruda(.303, 18 HR, 24 SB) has been a big plus. Staff leader Bobby Stephenson(7-1, 3.29 ERA) has 2 Cy Young awards and 5 AS appearances. Closer Felipe Cairo(18 Svs) has 12 AS appearances and 3 Fireman of the Year awards. Boise took a big hit to it's staff when SP Artie Dimaggio went down with a season ending, career threatening elbow injury. While this team is still one of the best in the league, more than half of it's roster are on the wrong side of 30, with all-time stars like Rivas(34), Hairston(35), Cairo(34), Stephenson(32), and Tejera(31) all logging more than 10 ML campaigns. That may require some attention in the near future, but for this year they are well able to defend their title.

SAN JOSE GIANTS- nzballa has his Giants lurking just 3 games off the division lead. Picked up Darrin Lee(.304, 19 SBs) to man 3B. Also signed Julian Young(.303) to patrol CF. Just traded 3 players to acquire C Sidney Martin(.356) to help handle the pitching staff. SJ has led the league in ERA for 3 years running and they are among the best again this year. I don't think here is a team in the league that can rival their starting staff. Dave Wilkinson(8-3, 2.43 ERA) is a 6 time AS and even won a Fireman of the Year award before becoming one of the league's top SPs. Last year' ROY Phil Corino is 7-6 with a 2.53 ERA. Sean Brown(7-3, 2.44 ERA) is a 2 time AS. SP/LR Shane Rolls is 9-1. Closer Alberto Aparicio has 12 saves but a 6.00 ERA. The Giants are not exactly lacking in offense either. They already have 5 players with double-digit HRs. Slugging rookie 1B Pepe Nunez(.326, 17,60) is a ROY candidate. Harry Owen(.316, 15 HR) mans LF. Darin Watson(.295) is an excellent defensive SS, but is hitting over his head. After missing the playoffs last season, nz is a good bet to return this year.

VANCOUVER VILLAINS- jvburns club won this division last season, but is hovering just over .500 at 37-36, 10 games back. Trade acquisition SP Andres Cabrera(7-4, 3.13) has been good. David Clark(2-4, 4.53) not so much. The pitching is in the top 1/3 of the league, but the offense is decidedly average. There are some offensive bright spots. 3B Al Canseco(.324, 23,64, 17 SB) is a 5x AS with 5 Silver Slugger awards. RF Alton Buckley(.321,17,60) is a former ROY and 7x AS, with 2 Silver Sluggers and a Gold Glove. Speedy CF Alton Buckley has 20 SB. DH Bump Sabel has 16 HRs, but is hitting well below his career average. SPs Johnny Richardson(8-4), Shane Coffman(6-5, 3.51), Andres Cabrera(7-4, 3.13), & Harry Seneca(4-3, 3.74) are all doing a good job. Closer Willie Alarcon(2.16 ERA) is 14-15 in saves. This is still a talented team, but it's going to be hard to make up 10 games in this tough division.

SCOTTSDALE SUNNY- mdtiger showed improvement last season in his 2nd year at the helm, but seems to have taken a step back this year. Currently, the Sunny is 20 games out at 27-46. Signed a few FAs, the best of which are LF Ronn Hall(.287, 15 HR) and closer Carson Hoffman(3.06 ERA, .227 OAvg, 10-11 Svs). Rule 5 pickups Willie Alexander and Roland Douglass have played sparingly. The pitching ranks last in the league with a 6.04 ERA. Team BA of .263 ranks 14th. The team does have some power(109 HR, 5th). DH Jumbo Flores(.339, 11 HR) leads the offense. 1B Wayne Smalley(.281, 21,59) leads the club in HRs. SP Jesus Benitez is 7-4. Highly paid FA Placido Hernandez($13M+) is 1-9. With 14 players on the roster 30 or older, it may be time to sell off some older talent to contenders for some prospects.

AL SOUTH SNAPSHOT

2010-04-12T07:59:00.005-05:00

AL SOUTH

LOUISVILLE SLUGGERS-davidbutler9 took over this team 5 years ago and it was in terrible shape. david had a plan and he has shown constant improvement. Now all his work appears to be paying off. His Sluggers are now a legitimate contender. Louisville currently sits atop the division with a 35-23 record. Much of that success is due to a stellar 17-8 home record. Swung a few trades that will help. SP Emil Pena(4-2, 3.09 ERA), All Star 3B Mark Jones(12 HR, .274 BA), former MVP LF Billy Ledee(.282, 11 HR), RF Bey Morris(11 HR) have all been a plus. 3 time All Star RF Ivan Gonzalez(27 SBs) is hitting .371. Aurelio Zorrilla(.317, 11 HR) is handling DH duties. 1B/2B Virgil Rodriguez(17 HR, .311) is a 5 time All Star. SPs Brandon Dale(8-3, 3.42 ERA) leads the pitching staff. Vin Guevara(9 Svs, .246 OAvg) is handling closer duties. david has his club in the top 5 in offense, pitching, and fielding. That will be good enough to be a solid contender for the division title and who knows how much more.

FLORIDA FIRE SAILFISH- jmercer77 won 90 games last season and looks to be on a similar pace this year. The Fish are currently 32-26 and 3 games back. The offense and pitching rank about the middle of the pack, but the fielding is a little sub par. Invested a lot of money in the FA market in the hopes of pushing the club to the next level. Signed 3 time AS and former ROY Luis Guillen(.319, 10 HR) to a LT contract and so far he hasn't disappointed. Also signed CF Toby Douglas(.293, 9 SB), who has won Gold Gloves at 3 different positions. So far in this young season, he already has 13+ plays in CF. Also signed LF Darron Pierce(.323, 11 HR). Traded for defensive C Trenidad Carrasquel platoon vs LHP. RF Miguel Palacios(14 HR, .306) has won 2 MVPs, ROY, 6 Silver Sluggers, and has made 6 AS teams. He's a sure-fire HOFer. DH Lance Kelleher(.297, 8 HR) and 2B David Olivo(.290, 11 HR) are solid contributors. Every SP is at .500 or better, led by Al Iglesias 6 wins. RP Greg Shelley is 7-1. Closer Diego Garza(16 Svs) was last year's Fireman of the Year. This core group should keep the Saifish in contention all season.

MONTERREY CHEESEHEADS- currently treading water at 29-29, 6 games behind. Leads the league in Runs and is 2nd in BA, but that is offset by a 5.76 team ERA. Tough to have to outslug other teams all the time. No major trades but vector21 was pretty active in the FA market. Unfortunately, the only one to have a positive impact so far is former Gold Glove C Aaron Bradshaw(.317, 6 HR). Rookie DH Vin Escobar(20 HR, .332, 1.023 OPS) has been stellar so far. SS Dolf Titan(.317, 17 HR), 1B Glen Sheets(16 HR), LF Ernest Payton(22 HR), and IF/OF Gary Hardy(15 HR) have all helped make this the most potent offense in the league. On the flip side, no SP has a winning record. RPs D'Angelo Figureoa(6 Svs, 2.11 ERA) and Felipe Vincente(1.83 ERA) have been bright spots on a disappointing pitching staff. Unless that turns around the Cheeseheads may find themselves continuing to have a mediocre season.

NEW ORLEANS FREEBEADS- last year's division champs are coming off a 92 win season. This year is a different story, as joshoakley's club is currently bringing up the rear, 11 games back with a 24-35 record. And with good reason, since both the offense and the pitching are near the bottom of the league. A .263 team BA and a league worst .397 SLG combined with a 5.86 team ERA is a far cry from the success of last year. josh stood pat and made no trades or Rule 5 pickups, and only one middling FA signing. It hasn't been all bad. DH Fred Wells is hitting .348 with 15 HRs. Reliable 2-time AS C Hector Gonzales is hitting .317 with 11 dingers. CF Red Sellers has 23 SBs. No SP has a winning record. The 5 main SPs are 14-23. As a matter of fact, the only pitcher with a winning record is RP Delino Castillo(4-2), but he sports a 9.82 ERA. It's a strange quirk of HBD where a team that wins a division one year can come back with virtually the same crew and finish last. I know. I'm currently doing the same thing in another league. But josh is an experienced owner and I'm sure he'll find a way to turn this thing around.

AL NORTH SNAPSHOT

2010-04-09T20:47:00.004-05:00

AL NORTH

MONTREAL MOUNTIES-winmyron holds a slim division lead, albeit with a sub .500 25-26 record. Trade acquisition SS Francis Bennett has been sold defensively but has hit just .208. Picked up 3 FA pitchers-Slim Shouse, Donatello Poole, and Fred Collins, but none have gotten the job done to date. FA C Antonio Miller has hardly played. DH Delino Marin(1.113 OPS) is leading the AL with a .398 BA. C Albert Guerrero(.320 BA), 3B Pablo Chavez(.320, 11 HR), 1B F.P. Koskie(.309, 14 HR) and last year's MVP 2B Abraham Fonda(315, 13 HR, 9 SB) lead one of the league's more potent offenses. Pitching is another story. The Mounties currently have a 5.87 team ERA, 3rd worst in the AL. Closer Heath Donovan(11-13 Svs, 1.98 ERA) has been fine. SP Esteban Lee, a 20 game winner last year, is 2-6, 7.20 ERA. Omar Navarro is 6-2. Along with Dennis Boggs, winmyron's top 3 SPs are performing well below last season's levels. If the pitching can improve, the Mounties are a good bet to repeat as division champs.

MADISON MEEK MADNESS- sccrplyr16 is currently in the middle of the fight, just one game back at 24-27. FA signee LF Vic Rijo(.356, 7 HR) is off tho the best start of his career. MMM has a good offense, but it can't overcome their 5.73 team ERA. In addition to Rijo, 3B Ryan Darling(.333), and RF Dom Coscarart(.307, 19 HR) lead the offense. SPs Jin-Chi Shin and Julio Cedeno have 5 wins each. Closer duties are being shared by 3 pitchers, none of whom have been spectacular. If they can turn the pitching around, they may stay in the race all year.

TORONTO TOROS- This division has been turned on it's head. For many years you could flip the current standings and that was how they ended the year. I'm sure new commish goldenboy69 yearns for those halcyon days. The season started out OK, but then a long losing streak dropped the Toros to their current 21-31 record, but still only 5 games off the lead. But a 5.52 ERA coupled with a league worst .252 team BA does not bode well, and gb may have already decided to go into rebuilding mode. Signed a couple of FA RPs in Jack Lawton(2.42 ERA) & Miguel Acevedo(2.96 ERA, .198 OAvg) who have done well but at 36 & 38 years old, are not the answer for the future. Trade acquisitions 2B Tomas Franco(.208), CF Freddy Franco(.263, 7 HR), and 3B Howie Dickson(.228) are young enough to fit into a rebuilding plan, but none are superstars. It's not all bad, though. SS Eddie Post(.294) is OK defensively. RF Trevor Thebeau(.285, 16 HR) & Rookie DH Tim Logan(.284, 7 HR) provide some hope. No SP currently has a winning record. Alexander Lawrence(3.67) has a good ERA. Young Delino Morales(23) could have a good future, but Branch Hill, Olmedo Molina, and Mac Morris appear no better than average. Closer Eugene Carlson(12 Svs), a former #1 draft pick, is only 24 and had 39 saves last season. LR Miguel Acevedo(2.92 ERA) has been a plus. With only 6 players over 30 on the ML roster, the rebuilding process is underway.

MINNESOTA TWINKIES- How the mighty have fallen. brentnet has been the sole owner of this storied franchise that has finished 1st or 2nd in this division 11 times in 14 season, with 2 WS championships to his credit. Last season things fell apart and the Twinkies finished last for the first time in their history with a 67-95 record. Things aren't much better this year with a 19-33 record, but that still leaves them only 7 games back. Lone FA signee RP Roy Peters is 5-5 in saves, but a 6.08 ERA and .312 OAvg is not what brent is paying for. Rule 5 pickup RP Dernell Spivey(11.02 ERA, .367 OAvg) hasn't panned out so far. One thing the Twinkies have always been known for is their power, and they are still 2nd in the league in HRs(93). But that WIS power adjustment update may have really taken it's toll on this team. Even with all the HRs, they are next to last in RS. Young 1B Billy Corey(3.14, 15 HR) is a keeper. DH Gerry Allen(.284, 12 HR) has won 5 Silver Slugger awards and is still only 28. 24 year old 3B Scott Coles(16 HRs) has prodigious power. C Omar Mercedes has been a solid 20+ HR guy in his career. The pitching staff has been bad, sporting a team ERA of 5.83, and that's hard for any offense to overcome. One bright spot has been SP Mel Pearson(7-1, 3.41 ERA) and he's only 25. But with more than half the ML roster over 29, there's some work to be done to return this franchise to greatness.

Early Season Snapshot

2010-04-09T05:47:00.007-05:00

With about a third of the season gone, let's take a look at how things stand.

AL EAST

NEW YORK TORRONES- Currently sporting a league best 32-17 record. This is a club built to contend. Not many changes from last year. Time is getting short for this mix to get it done. Rule 5 pickup Stu Wunsch(.283 BA) was acquired to backup at CF and SS and has done a fine job so far. Tanner Magnante(.372, 15 HR, 1.128 OPS) has been his usual stellar self. Hot hitting CF Chad Wolf(.325, 11 SB) picked up where he left off last season. DH/C Neifi Espinosa(13 HR) has provided pop, and LF Dan Jones(11 HR) seems to have regained his power stroke after a subpar season last year. Ace A.J. Freeman(7-2, 2.60 ERA) is in the last year of his contract and it looks like he's serious about earning a big deal. SP Victor Colome(6-2, 2.47 ERA) has been excellent. Closer B.C. Garland(16 Svs, 1.53 ERA) is among the best in the league. This club is built to win now and needs to come though before the core players get too old.

AUGUSTA ABENAKI- After a rookie owner took this team over last year and managed it into the ground, AU alum optistrat came back for a second tour and looks to have this historically fine team back on the right track. Currently at 28-21, 4 games off the pace. FA signees RP Vicente Domingo(.176 OAvg) & SP Yamil Diaz(.212 OAvg) have been a plus, while 2B Tony Vizcaino(.224) has been good defensively but contributed little at the bat. Former MVP 1B Dennis Newfield(.348, 14 HR, 43 RBI) hasn't lost a thing at 32. Former C Joey Cannon(.340, 12, 43) has been an excellent fulltime DH. Traded for RF Ismael Julio(13 SBs), & RPs Pete Hartman (5.12 ERA) and Santiago Morales(3.16 ERA). Pitching staff is led by 2 time Cy Young winner Pedro Alarcon(7-2, 2.52 ERA), one of the leagues best. SP Louis Maxwell(6-2, 2.52 ERA) has been just as good. Closer Rob Patrick is 10-10 in Saves. optistrat has this club back to being a solid contender. But with more than half the ML roster 30 or older, the clock is ticking on this club too.

NORFOLK NAVIGATORS- cspring is back for his 2nd season at the helm. The Navs are currently 23-26 and 9 games back. cspring was very active in the FA market, signing or resigning 13 players. All but 2 are on the wrong side of 30. The results have been mixed. SPs William Ross(6-2, 3.47), Alan Lowell(3.49), and Earl Slaughter(3.52) have been good. LF Cristobal Castillo(.299) too. CF Enrique Henriquez(.281), DH Carlos Ibarra(.277, 6 HR) & RF Pedro James(.279) have been adequate. C Stevie Bonilla(.232, 7 HR) has struggled at the plate and in the field(.200 CS Pct, 5.16 ERA). 2B Roosevelt Abbott is good defensively but he's hitting .217. 1B Ramiro Guevara(.251, 8 HR) has been barely adequate. 5 time All Star Vin Austin is hitting .314, but his ratings are on a definite downward spiral. It will take a few more years for cspring to turn this club into a contender, but at least he's not sitting on his hands.

WASHINGTON D.C. ABNORMALS- diabeticrock took over this team after a clueless first year owner ran it into the ground, and he's got his hands full, but he's giving it his all. Currently at 17-32, this club is definitely in rebuilding mode. He was busy in the FA market and some have had a positive impact like RP Allen Dickerson(.200 OAvg), rookie 1B Pablo Estrada(.318, 8 HR), swingman Harry Torres(3.47 ERA), & RP Tim Shipley(2.32 ERA). LF/DH Bucky Cunningham(.182, 2 HR) has been a disaster so far. Rule 5 pickup RF/DH Robb McEnerney(.276, 8 HR) has been a plus. His other Rule 5 guy, RP Hootie Pritchett(.319 OAvg, 8.67 ERA) not so much. Very active in the trade market too(14 players). Trade acquisition DH/OF Vic Brinson(.342) is hitting up a storm, as is OF Harold Wilson(.331, 11 HR). Among the hurlers SP Al Morlan(5-2, .196 OAvg, 2.32 ERA) has been the best of the bunch. While there is still a long way too go, I'm confident d-rock is up to the task.

The Best of the Rule 5 draft

2010-04-06T14:14:00.002-05:00

Here is a sample team of players who at one point were taken in the Rule 5 Draft. Allen Dickerson appears twice, once as a SP and once as a RP.

1st Gene Oquist Season 6 609 21-122-0 .343-.413
2nd Alex Escuela Season 6 575 9-61-50 .287-.366
SS Bret Henry Season 6 584 37-125-1 .264-.323
3rd Craig Everett Season 5 585 16-85-9 .328-.375
CF Edgardo Machado Season 8 566 23-90-14 .309-.377
RF Al Ulrich Season 6 498 27-90-0 .305-.393
LF Daryle Green Season 5 641 23-64-47 .271-.337
C Michael McDonald Season 8 478 31-107-0 .316-.405
DH Ernie Thompson Season 6 533 11-91-14 .304-.380

SP Yamil Diaz Season 5 15-7-0 177-131 1.30-3.52
SP Allen Dickerson Season 5 16-7-0 170-125 1.21-3.39
SP Lyle Melhuse Season 5 17-5-0 221-160 1.31-3.96
SP Robert West Season 6 11-5-0 122-93 1.46-4.27
SP Matt Orosco Season 6 10-11-0 220-135 1.41-4.09

RP Allen Dickerson Season 5 5-0-31 58-48 1.11-2.03
RP Wiki Martin Season 5 11-9-5 121-79 1.31-3.64
RP Pasqual Viriato Season 6 6-6-8 73-62 1.36-3.70

Hall of Fame Update

2010-03-22T11:24:00.001-05:00

Hardball Dynasty's

Donaldo Gonzalez

One of the most celebrated starting pitchers in Addicted history. Winning the Cy Young 3 straight years and 4 times in a 5 year span. He was perhaps the most dominate pitcher ever. Suffered an accident before season 1 started that saw him with 2 broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder and a severe concussion. Was forced by the financially strapped Mexico City franchise to pitch through it. Had perhaps the worst season ever. After that was traded to Salem straight up for Fritz Starr. Quickly turned things around and won the Cy Young in seasons 3, 4, 5 and 7 with Salem and then Boise. Also won 9 playoff games with them as they won 2 World Series while he played for them. After winning the CY Young in season 7 he left for Free Agency and wound up in Las Vegas and had a strong season going 13-8 with a 2.62 ERA. There was then a ownership change and the team was moved to Oklahoma and he was forced to the bullpen as management felt he was too old to start any more. A year later the team moved to San Diego were he loved to play but just didn’t have the goods anymore. No works as a color commentator for the San Diego Spanish broadcaster covering the Smokes games. He goes into the hall wearing their hat.

Stats 151 wins, 82 losses. 2140 Innings, 1495 K’s, 1.33 WHIP, 4.19 ERA
Projected Stats 220 wins, 105 losses, 3020 Innings, 2150 K’s, 1.29 WHIP, 3.88 ERA

Has the 4th best single season ERA with a 2.11
2nd most wins 23 and the top two best winning percentage seasons .958 and .917

With Boise he is on the leaderboard in both career and single season records.

Career
CG 2nd 28
ERA 1st 2.95
Innings 3rd 1418
SHO 2nd 9
QS 2nd 144
K’s 2nd 1046
Wins 2nd 161

Single Season
ERA 1-3-5 2.11, 2,59, 2.85
QS 1-2 27, 26, 26
K’s 1-3-4 236, 188, 181
Wins 2-3-4 23-22-22

Hardball Dynasty's

Peter Anderson

A hard throwing horse of a pitcher. Was one of the richest closers in the history of the game and deserved every penny. On his back Burlington made the playoffs 5 years in a row between seasons 1 and 5. He could be counted on for 80 appearances and well over 100 innings often getting much consideration for the CY Young. Eventually he lost his closer job to Bonk Root but was still and effective pitcher before leaving as a Free agent for Vancouver. He pitched well there for one season before moving onto the Toros with hopes of becoming a Pitching coach. He spent a season in AAA but realized that he missed his ranch in Arizona and has set up a Baseball Camp there for young boys and girls. The camp has already had success with its most recent crop of graduates including Deivi Martinez getting drafted in the first round this season.

Stats: 724 Games, 83 Wins-80 Losses, 302 Saves, 1245 IP, 940 K’s 1.19 Whip, 3.30 ERA
Estimated Career Stats: 965 Games, 115 Wins, 110 Losses, 435 Saves, 1700 IP, 1260 K’s
Awards: 1 x CY Young, 6 x All-Stars, 2 x Fireman
Records:
Burlington Single Season Records
Games (2nd) 89
ERA (2nd) 2.79
Losses (1st) 19
Saves (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th) 47-46-44-43
K’s (3rd) 152
WHIP (5th) 1.11

Burlington Career Total Records
Games (1st) 693
ERA (1st) 3.25
Losses (2nd) 76
IP (2nd) 1194
Saves (1st) 300
K’s (2nd) 907
WHIP (2nd) 1.18
Wins (2nd) 83

He is also 2nd on the Addicted Users all-time save list with 302, 3rd in ERA with a 3.02.

Hardball Dynasty's

Horacio Frias

As a young man he looked as though he was destined to work in a car battery recycling plant. When the plant closed and his town was left poor and polluted he was forced at the age of 17 to move to Santo Domingo, there he was seen by a scout from the Toronto Toros as he played a game of pick up ball. He signed a minor league contract and at the age of 19 won the High A player of the year when he crushed 54 homeruns in 130 games while batting .377. It took him a few years to get all his skills up to pace for the major league level but at the age of 23 he burst onto the scene and proved to be a winner every year he played. In Addicted Users seasons 1-7 his team averaged over 100 wins and made the playoffs every year. He won two world series over that span batting over .400 with 9 homers, 30 rbi and 7 steals during the playoffs those seasons. After hitting 45 homers in season 5 his skills seemed to drop off the table and he only hit 12 in season 6. He was released at the end of that season but quickly signed with arch rival Minnesota. He batted a solid .305 with 16 homers and helped the Twinkies to a 103 win season. In season 8 he spent the year in the minors as a special assistant and coach. He hung it up for good in season 9 moved back to the Dominican and has set up a wildlife centre close to his home town of Haina.

Stats: 809 runs, 1154 hits, 225 doubles, 63 triples, 275 homers, 852 RBI, 113 steals, .307 AVG
Estimated Career Stats: 1360 runs, 2030 hits, 375 doubles, 100 triples, 500 homers, 1475 RBI, 200 steals, .310 AVG

Awards: 4 X Silver Slugger (1-3,5), 2 X All-Star (2,5)

Records:
Toronto Single Season Records
Runs: (5th) 163
Triples: (4th) 20
HR: (1st) 67
RBI: (1st) 196
OPS: (2nd) 1.194

His 196 RBI also ranks 5th all-time in addicted users
Also holds the Toro record for 7+ plays in RF in one season and has the highest fielding % at .993

Ranks in the top three for Toronto in the following stats: AVG (.307) Hits (998) Runs (717) RBI (780) HR (259)

Hardball Dynasty's

Carl West

By no means the biggest 1st baseman of all time at just 5'11 and under 200lbs. He was one of the most feared hitters in baseball and the effects he had on the game can still be felt today. Spent 13 years in the major leagues but only 8 of those seasons are on the books. Was traded before Addicted Users 1st season started by MGreenwell in Salem to the Toronto Toros in a 3 for 1 deal that other then West the main player was Ricky Lawton who some day may find himself in the Hall as well. With West on the team the Toros won 215 games over the next two seasons and went as far as the League Championships both times. West hilighted season two by winning his 1st MVP award.

After season 2 with a contract that was about to expire and the Toros worried about losing him to free agency he was traded again. This time to the Durham Pilots (now Toledo). Toronto packaged West with another player, Juan Bravo, for three up and comers, Jon Stern, D'Angelo Figureoa, and Tomas Gandarilla. Carl didn't fail the fans in Durham, the Pilots won a team record 115 games, an incredible 42 games more then the season before and 22 more then they would next year without West. He got his team all the way to the World Series this time, but lost to his old team Toronto. Carl batted .373 in both the regular season and playoffs to win his 2nd straight MVP award.

In season 4 he at the age of 33 he signed a massive 5 year deal worth more then 50 million dollars with El Paso. The team struggled and never won more then 80 games and finished last all but one season that he was with them. He did bat close to .300 with the team and twice hit over 37 homers and 118 rbi. After season 8 with his bat speed slowing he hung up his cleats at the age 39.

Stats: 752 runs, 1197 hits, 206 doubles, 292 homers, 900 rbi, .319 avg
Estimated Career Stats: 1250 runs, 2100 hits, 355 doubles, 517 homers, 1575 rbi, .325 avg.

Awards: 4 x All-Star (1-4), 3 X Silver Slugger 1st Base(1-3), 2 X MVP (2,3)

Records:
Toronto Single Season Assist Record 1st baseman (169)
2nd,5th Single Bat Avg (.347,.333)
T-1st Single HomeRun (67)
2nd,3rd Single OBP (.436,.431)
2nd Single Runs (167)
T-1st Single RBI (196)

Durham/Toledo
1st Single Bat Avg (.373) also 3rd best in ML History
3rd Single Hits (200)
5th Single Doubles (47)
1st Single Homers (51)
1st Single OBP (.465)
3rd Single Runs (136)
1st Single RBI (147)
1st Single OBPS (1.227) 2nd best ML History

El Paso
2nd Single Bat Avg (.330)
5th Single Homeruns (40)
3rd Single OBP (.402)
5th Single RBI (119)

Also has the 5th highest Career OBPS at this time in ML history at 1.025

Had incredible playoff stats as well batting .383 in 133 at bats with 22 homers and 47 rbi and posting an outstanding 1.407 OBPS.

New Owners

2010-03-18T10:15:00.001-05:00

gaheel84
his name is Dennis Wesson and he lives in Bogart Georgia, which is about an hour north east of Atlanta. 21 full HBD seasons under his belt with 9 playoff appearances and a WS win in Season 1 of WIB with a number 6 seed team. In 6 seasons that team never fell below .500 and had a high win total of 101 the year after the WS title. Also spent 5 seasons in No Quitters turning a sub .500 team into 2 time Division winner before he left. His goal with his new team the Arizona Desert is pretty much the same turn a sub .500 team into a winner with a realistic shot at being a champion every season. He made a couple of trades the more noteworthy being the acquisition of Clarence Levis and Lou Beamon both will add much needed pop to his lineup. Also brought in the big bat of C.J. Weaver and the speedy centerfielder Ernie Thompson. They also signed a new pitcher Bruce Phillips that will help stabilize the pitching staff. This team could be a contender right now.

optistrat
He is Steve from South Minnesota. He was with us a few seasons back with the Tucson Desert Rats winning 65 and 66 games. Now with a little more experience under his belt he hopes to better the second time around. With 23 seasons under his belt and 6 playoffs made he has a fairly solid track record building up. His highlight must be the 3 seasons in Snider that have seen him win 3 straight division titles with an average salary of only 62 million dollars. His hopes are to have this team headed in that same direction within a season or so. He grabbed a solid setup man in Santiago Morales and solid LR man in Pete Hartman with 2 of his three off-season trades. Free agents Yamil Diaz and Vicente Domingo will really help out a thin pitching staff. With Solid hitting this team could be ready to make a move.

talbott08
Mike Talbott from Crosby, Texas just outside of Dallas. A relative newb when compared to the other new owners does have No-Hitter in his history which is more then many owners can brag about. Hopes to help rebuild this formerly strong team by restocking the minors and taking better care of the team as a whole. No trades as of yet, actually a smart move for a newer owner. He has dipped his toe into the free agent market. Notables include Benny Navarre, Jeff Riggs and Pedro Matos to help out in the pen and Alberto Guerrero plus Freddy Forrest in the rotation. SS Del Rosa and Catcher Mike Martin will shore up the defense up the middle.

s_gammon
Shawn Gammon from Dartmouth Nova Scotia…yeah another Canadian. Has a solid track record in Hotstove keeping the budget down and the team around the .500 level most season. Plans to rebuild this team from the ground up and compete in about four seasons. Made several trades grabbing some solid young talent like…Hersh Bergman, Stan Redmond and Paxton Baldelli. also signed himself a new closer, Fernando Pena and a solid utility player Rick Costello. This team has some serious upside to discover.

diabeticrock
I don’t know who he is, I don’t know where he is from. He has been buying up teams like crazy the past few weeks and making deals like crazy. I would be naïve to think I even had a clue what direction this team is headed. But it will be exciting to see how it all works out.

The All-Time Best of Teams Volume 1

2010-03-11T11:00:00.002-05:00

The All-Time Teams

Arizona (Oakland, Helena)

1st C.C. Brush 513 52-114-0 .290-.373 Season 5 (Hel)
2nd Red Perez 418 29-79-32 .324-.436 Season 9 (Hel)
SS Tommy Heredia 537 18-82-1 .315-.370 Season 5 (Hel)
3rd Louie Damon 618 36-125-8 .316-.371 Season 4 (Hel)
CF Aramis Vizquel 561 38-119-8 .305-.375 Season 6 (Hel)
RF Ross Rhodes 541 29-106-16 .320-.409 Season 10 (Hel)
LF Milt Mahoney 569 60-161-12 .323-.389 Season 4 (Hel)
C Osvaldo Valentin 382 15-46-0 .301-.380 Season 9 (Hel)

SP1 Daryle Morgan 18-7-0 240-163 1.09-2.40 Season 8 (Hel)
SP2 Russell Blake 21-6-0 201-137 1.24-3.22 Season 5 (Hel)
SP3 Pat Witt 21-5-0 220-148 1.20-2.74 Season 7 (Hel)
RP1 Marty Burns 9-1-33 71-69 1.20-2.55 Season 8 (Hel)
RP2 Henry Martin 10-6-7 100-76 0.96-2.25 Season 6 (Hel)

Augusta (Cincinnati, Columbus, Atlanta, Trenton)
1st Dennis Newfield 557 44-120-1 .361-.429 Season 12 (Clb)
2nd Lefty Appier 600 30-162-44 .362-.437 Season 1 (Trn)
SS Dennis Yang 566 10-87-37 .292-.353 Season 11 (Clb)
3rd Rico Ordaz 591 68-227-1 .315-.396 Season 1 (Trn)
CF Alex Nieves 617 34-123-21 .300-.357 Season 10 (Clb)
RF Bobby Bolick 531 29-107-29 .315-.390 Season 7 (Clb)
LF Billy Ledee 567 62-165-0 .332-409 Season 9 (Clb)
C Clay Charles 374 41-84-0 .297-.362 Season 13 (Clb)
DH Joey Cannon 505 32-113-0 .295-.351 Season 14 (Clb)

SP1 Pedro Alarcon 16-7-0 217-168 0.95-2.07 Season 12 (Clb)
SP2 P.J. Stanton 14-7-0 161-102 1.32-3.19 Season 12 (Clb)
SP3 Nigel Clifton 16-4-0 211-143 1.13-3.25 Season 9 (Clb)
RP1 Rob Patrick 0-1-34 39-27 1.02-2.75 Season 12 (Clb)
RP2 Curtis Young 0-0-34 37-31 1.08-1.46 Season 7 (Clb)

Boise (Salem)
1st Diego Moreno 639 25-133-0 .335-.388 Season 5 (Sal)
2nd Carlton Roosevelt 636 29-108-40 .272-.339 Season 12 (Boi)
SS Ricky Lawton 535 31-119-22 .363-.428 Season 9 (Boi)
3rd Luis Manzanillo 631 27-110-0 .319-.371 Season 4 (Sal)
CF Clayton Hairston 592 5-68-50 .316-.364 Season 13 (Boi)
RF Jose Marquez 676 15-90-41 .300-.359 Season 12 (Boi)
LF Alfonso Tejera 625 43-135-16 .323-.380 Season 10 (Boi)
C Olmedo Rivas 499 70-154-0 .335-.408 Season 7 (Boi)
DH Terrence Tracy 568 42-115-0 .305-.363 Season 5 (Boi)

SP1 Bobby Stephenson 20-3-0 202-164 1.03-2.27 Season 13 (Boi)
SP2 Donaldo Gonzalez 22-2-0 251-236 0.98-2.11 Season 7 (Boi)
SP3 Joey Montgomery 22-6-0 241-181 1.27-3.21 Season 10 (Boi)
RP1 Felipe Cairo 4-4-38 58-33 0.97-2.03 Season 14 (Boi)
RP2 Darren Trujillo 17-8-1 127-101 1.30-4.17 Season 10 (Boi)

Buffalo
1st Todd Simpson 615 41-146-0 .330-.401 Season 5 (Buf)
2nd Alex Escuela 533 6-73-79 .315-.381 Season 7 (Buf)
SS Octavio Santiago 695 34-98-55 .298-.374 Season 2 (Buf)
3rd Kirt Crane 644 54-163-25 .297-.372 Season 4 (Buf)
CF Pat Long 627 16-77-12 .325-.390 Season 9 (Buf)
RF Ramiro Guevara 611 74-193-7 .337-.418 Season 6 (Buf)
LF Sam Griffin 634 38-116-20 .285-.355 Season 9 (Buf)
C Omar Gentry 461 30-85-0 .295-.354 Season 11 (Buf)

SP1 Howard Terrell 13-10-0 216-198 1.09-2.84 Season 10 (Buf)
SP2 Philip Riley 21-9-0 260-199 1.16-3.49 Season 4 (Buf)
SP3 Emil Pena 16-7-0 219-148 1.16-2.42 Season 9 (Buf)
RP1 Carson Davis 1-2-38 56-43 1.05-2.25 Season 3 (Buf)
RP2 Donatello Poole 2-2-42 74-67 1.45-3.39 Season 7 (Buf)

The Mike Hampton Award

2010-02-01T15:43:00.002-05:00

1. Ricky Glynn Pitcher Cincinnati (Released) 6.8 over 2, AAA 1-11-0 Need I say more.

2. Osvaldo Valentin Catcher Tampa Bay 32.6 over 4 349 4-26-0 .209

3. Cristobal Castillo LF Tampa Bay 9.1 over 2, 102 2-10-0 .147

4. Che-Bang Lee 1st El Paso 12.8 over 2 years 455-7-55-0 .218

5. Marquis Wade Pitcher Monterrey 3.2 over 1, AAA.

6. Placido Martin Pitcher Minnesota 25 over 3, 1-6-2 60-38 1.52-5.67

7. David Clark Pitcher Tampa Bay 17.8 over 3, 2-3-0 48-42 1.53-4.28

8. Buddy Henley Pitcher Detroit 7 million over 1, 4-5-1 61-42 1.39-4.67

9. Michael McDonald Catcher St. Louis 12 over 2 years 214-11-42-0
.252

10. Omar Furcal Pitcher Burlington 13 over 2, 6-5-5 71-52 1.67-5.80

HOF: Peter Anderson

2010-01-21T15:21:00.001-05:00

Hardball Dynasty's

Peter Anderson

Season 10+ Hall of Fame Voting Results

2010-01-21T10:33:00.000-05:00

Peter Anderson 93%

James Duran 47%
Del Snyder 47%
Will Banks 27%
Sam Perry 20%
Toby Lomasney 20%
Louie Castro 7%
Nigel Martin

No other players garnered any votes.

Top Ten CF'ers

2010-01-14T10:56:00.002-05:00

1. Henry Green Green and the number two CF’er are head and shoulders above the rest of the field at this rather shallow position. Still having issues in the field his strong arm makes up for some of his miscues. Beyond that he is the best at everything else. Hits for power, steals bases, draws walks and has a great average. Is a franchise player.
2. Freddy Franco Is almost the opposite of Green. His main strength is his ability to make incredible plays everyday. Doesn’t have great power but does have a knack for hitting in the clutch and is on pace for well over 100 rbi. Has good speed but doesn’t steal anywhere as many bases as Green.
3. Josh Bradford For many years he was the marquee centerfielder. Still has the tools but has had more mistakes then in recent years so is maybe starting to slip. Good power and a good base stealer needs to work on getting on base more consistently to be more of an offensive threat.
4. Sergio Simpson It has taken him a lot longer then anyone would have expected to make his mark at the major league level. A first round pick in season four he is in just his 2nd major league season. Does everything pretty well but nothing great. Should stay in the top ten for the next 5 years.
5. Ivan Gonzalez Makes a living with his legs. Steals bases and tracks down fly balls with the best. Not a great hitter he does a good job of drawing walks and getting on base at a pretty good clip. A two time Gold Glover he is among the best again this season in AL.
6. Julio Guerrero A decent hitter with okay pop, his main strength is his ability to do everything well enough. Makes a solid number two hitter by taking walks and batting over .300. Also an average fielder that makes the routine plays and some spectacular ones.
7. D'Angelo Escobar Another early front runner for ROY. No power to speak of he does hit for a solid average and work pitchers for enough walks that he makes for a good leadoff type hitter. On pace for over 50 steals and is shaping into a fairly good fielder.
8. Clayton Hairston The older version of Escobar, he can still run enough to steal but his fielding that once was among the best is starting to slip. A potential hall of famer if he can hold on for a little bit longer.
9. Louie Rigdon Made the All-Star team when he was 22, since then he has become much more average. Hits for good average and draws a good amount of walks, but he really doesn’t hit for great power or field all that well. He is fairly fast but doesn’t seem to have a good first step and gets thrown out far too often .
10. Chad Wolf He is built like a power hitter but the majority of his homers are of the inside the park variety. But he can run and steal and is a solid .300 hitter. Has a weak arm and sometimes makes the easiest play into an adventure.

Top Ten Right Fielders

2010-01-13T11:37:00.000-05:00

1. Albert Perkins Much like his counterpart in LF (Velandia) he is having a huge impact in just his 2nd season. Batting .327 with a solid .390 OBP. He also has solid 20 homer power and a knack for driving in runs. Has a very strong arm and doesn’t get tested very often, still occasionally takes bad routes to fly balls. A definite keeper.
2. Pedro James At 32 years old he is still an explosive player. Should destroy his career high of 59 steals. Also on pace for 18 homers and 100 RBI. In the field he gets to pretty much everything but doesn’t get to show off his once powerful arm as much as he used to.
3. Tony Guerrero Lets just say he is not know for his defense. One of the worst Right Fielders in the game, luckily he hits like one of the best. Gets on base close to 40 % of the time and then steals bases almost at will. Has good power and is an ideal top of the order hitter.
4. Bailey Baptist Another one of the young bashers. Ripping homers and RBI at the pace of 30-110. Is hitting for a very good average and is starting to draw walks as his reputation as a masher gets around the league.
5. Miguel Palacios The two time MVP is having a rather quite season. Still probably the best hitter that plays RF, but his numbers are a lot closer to the rest of the field this year. Never a great fielder he looks more distracted then usually when he is out there.
6. Hector Soto Has always been one of the nest lead off hitters. He is now one of the best fielders as well. Hasn’t made an error all season and is on pace for over 20 assists.
7. Darron Pierce He is starting to look mortal. This future Hall of Famer is one of the most respected players in the game. Is a lock for a .300 avg and about 15 homers and 80 rbi.
8. Ray Lyon ROY? Having a very solid first season in all aspects of the game. Steals has good power and a solid .290 average. Also a very good glove man that could move to the infield in time.
9. Allen Barkley One of the few bright spots in the Toros organization. On pace for a 20-20 season, combines that with a good average and solid defense.
10. Juan Hernandez Slow moving power hitter. Has a strong arm but runners can take advantage as he is slow getting to balls in the corner. Hits pretty well against righties but might be forced into a platoon role as he ages.

Top Ten Left Fielders

2010-01-12T14:17:00.001-05:00

1. Craig Velandia In just his 2nd season he has had a huge impact. He plays LF fairly well, safe is probably a better word for it. But once he steps up to the plate it is a different story. On pace for a 30-30 season and 100 RBI. Also batting well over .300 and an OBP over .420. He is one of the most complete offensive players in the game.
2. Jiggs Craddock Another player from the NL East. It is weird to say it but he is a Wizard defensively in LF. Had he been raised right handed could have one a Gold Glove at 2nd base. Offensively he is a great lead off man with 50 steal potential and a solid 290 average. Draws his fair share of walks and has solid double digit homer power.
3. Vinny Nakamura One of the fastest men in baseball is having another great season. Could add another 70 steals to his already impressive career total of 684. Batting at a .328 clip with a .420 OBP he is also a two time gold glove winner in LF with his great range and accurate arm.
4. Billy Ledee The number one from the AL, he is having career year. Looking at 40 homers and 110+ RBI with a .370+ avg and .450 OBP. On the downside he is downright slow and sloppy on the bases and is closer to a DH then he is a Left Fielder when it comes to defense.
5. Denny Inge Around since season one he looks to be a lock for the Hall Of Fame. His power and speed numbers are down but is still on pace for almost 100 rbi and a .340 avg. He does the little things so well and is still a decent fielder.
6. Vic Rijo Another player having a break out season. Batting close to .300 he still doesn’t walk enough to be considered among the leagues elite. He is a great homerun hitter who excels at driving in runs. Also a solid fielder that holds his own with the leagues best.
7. Ernest Payton It has taken him a few seasons to put everything together but is finally playing like he was expected to when he was drafted 8th overall. Looking at 30 steals and high 20 homers. By no means a good fielder he is passable.
8. Norm Nady Another dynamic young player. Excels at stealing bases and is a good enough fielder that he could play RF. He has solid pop but doesn’t scare any pitchers into walking him.
9. Sandy Rath Once upon a time he was considered a power threat. Is now more of a base stealing monster that plays LF among the best in the league. Has a great arm and great instincts when in the field and on the bases.
10. Jerry Alexander The only rookie on the list. He is having a solid 1st season especially for a someone trying to hit in San Diego. Batting almost .300 he has great speed and good instincts on the bases. He is developing as a power threat and should be good for 15 homers this year.

Top 5 DH

2010-01-10T22:40:00.000-05:00

1. Joey Cannon A bonafide beast at the plate. Tearing the ball this season at a clip that will give hime 110+ RBI and 30+ homers. Does a good job not striking out and draws a fair amount of walks. Could play catcher if needed.
2. Jumbo Flores Want to talk about bat control? On pace for 110+ walks and only 35 k’s. Also hits pretty good, 20+ homers and 100+ rbi. A little bit too adventerous on the bases, but still a welcome adition to any AL lineup.
3. Olmedo Rivas MVP, Homerun derby champ, all-star, silver slugger. In his hay day there was no one better. His bat speed is slowing but is still a threat every time up. Once upon a time he was a catcher, now he is just a 3rd string back stop with 30 homer power and a .300 avg.
4. Gerry Allen Having a bit of a down year, but for the past several seasons he has been considered the best DH in baseball. Should be good for another 30 homer .300/.400 season again.
5. Gary Hardy For some reason he is playing the bulk of his time at DH. Came up as a 2nd baseman can still fill in there in a pinch. Having a solid year with the stick I think he would be better off playing LF.

Top Ten Catchers

2010-01-10T14:13:00.002-05:00

1. Eric Murphy Not only do they have the number one SS but the number one Catcher, good teams always have strength up the middle it seems. He already has most of the major awards, this could be his year to grab a MVP. Seems to be a lock for 45 dingers and 100 rbi. Hits for a solid average and draws a decent amount of walks. His arm is only average but he calls a solid game and does a very good job of blocking the plate with his solid 210 lbs frame.
2. Hector Gonzales Despite only being 25 he is by far and away the best catcher in the AL. Has incredible power that could see him hit 60 homers before this season is over. Also on pace to have a career best in RBI. He however is step down from Murphy on the devensive side. Well below average throwing and doesn’t call the best of games. He is also a little small for the position and looks like one injury away from being a part time player.
3. Vicente Romano I guess I am a sucker for a good defensive catcher. He does seem to be having some troubles adapting to his new team in terms of pitch calling but is keeping the ERA around the league norm. When the runners get on base though he is about the best in the business. He is smart hitter and is having close to a career season with the bat. He is a big step down from the top two.
4. Bret Barry A future gold Glover who will probably get into the top three but next season. Having a solid season with the bat (on pace for 19-75-.261) he could work on making better contact. A great arm and a great understanding of the strike zove have him among the best defensive catchers in the league.
5. Billy McNamara Another great defensive catcher who has already won two Gold Gloves in his career.While his power and average numbers are down he still commands a great deal of respect in the batters box and should walk over 100 times this season. About average throwing he is doing an amazing job keeping runners off the bases and his teams ERA down.
6. Cesar Amaral This thick legged back stop is an explosive offensive weapon. Hitting close to .300 he is also on pace for about 130 RBI. His arm is not doing a greta job at stopping the running game but he is calling a good game and helps keep the runners off the bases.
7. Donaldo Garces Rumour has it his arm was replaced with a rocket launcher in the off season. Gunning down an unheard of amount of runners (almost 45%) he has a good chance at winning his first ever Gold Glove. Not a power threat he does his best work when drawing walks and lining singles.
8. Donald Lee A skinny version of Mike Lavalliere? A rule five draftee this season he is beating all expectations. Batting over .300 and gunning down over 40% of runners. Also calling a good game he is sure to climb the rankings in the years to come.
9. Stevie Bonilla One of the top offensive catchers in baseball he is actually doing a good job of mowing down attempted base stealers. Doesn’t seem to have any real concept of calling a game however. Another strong season with the stick though keeps him in the top ten.
10. Clay Charles Perhaps the best pure hitter among catchers in the league. Has a fairly strong arm but is having some problems cutting down runners. Not sure if it is him or his pitchers but runs seem to score against their team far to easily. If that continues a move to DH might be in order.

Top Ten Short Stops

2010-01-08T16:31:00.002-05:00

1. Nash Metcalfe A former 1st round pick is in just his 2nd full season in the bigs but has already climbed to the top of the SS heap. While this isn’t an extremely deep position he is the best right now. An incredible run producer who is on pace for about 130 runs and 70 RBI. Has okay power but speed and a good eye are his best offensive weapons. 50 steals and 70 walks are within his reach. Not a great fielder he does have a strong arm to make up for below average range.

2. Julius Serrano Always among the most gifted fielders he is taking his offensive game to a new level this season. Batting well over .300 with 12 steals just a third of the way into the season (Projects to 32 steals). Also on pace for over 100 runs scored and about 60 rbi.

3. Mariano Tavarez New York is having their best season ever in part because of the play of Tavarez. The young SS doesn’t have much power or any speed. But he is the best fielder in the game right now and is batting an incredible .340 with an OBP just a hair under .400. An ideal number two hitter.

4. Douglas Howard Has the tools to be a solid fielder, but is putting up one of the worst seasons with a glove ever. Luckily he is hitting great. Tearing the ball at a .340 clip he should be a lock for 100 rbi and about 20 steals. A good chance at ROY.

5. Angel Castillo Another solid young SS, this position does have some up and comers. Runs well and has good power. He is a 20-30 threat this season. His fielding right now is below average but should get better with time.

6. Domingo Ontiveros San Diego spent big money to shore up their infield defense this off season. He is also one of their better hitters, now that isn’t saying much because their offense sucks. He does show what a good SS can do for a team though.

7. C.J. Weaver Hadn’t played SS since season 10 but is doing a good job this year. Won’t ever be mistaken for a Gold Glover but is doing a better then average in the field. His batting avg and OBP are WAY down but he is by far the best run producer at SS, on pace for over 30 homers and a 125 RBI.

8. Max Chavez In time he may be the standard that all other SS are compared too. At 24 he still has time to grow as a player. Batting just over .300 he also has 20 homer power. Doesn’t seem to be using his legs to steal as much as he could. Also is still learning how to position himself in the field but in time could win a gold Glove.

9. Sparky Wasdin Has two gold gloves already. Wont win one this year but is still among the best fielders. Also has great power that sees him hitting 20 homers every year. Not fast but he keeps out of trouble on the bases by picking his spots wisely.

10. Marshall Ferrell For many years he was the Gold Standard of Short Stops. A move to 3rd is probably in the cards soon as he is having an awful year with the glove. His power is starting to slip but he can still drive in 90 runs and steals bases at will.

Top Ten 3rd Baseman

2010-01-08T13:00:00.002-05:00

1. Pablo Chavez Another reason why Montreal is having such a great season. A former SS he is a front runner for the Gold Glove. Also on pace for 25+ homers 120 rbi and 16 steals. Batting a solid .325 and draws his fair share of walks. A true five tool player.

2. Al Canseco Another former SS, not as flashy as Chavez but still worthy of a Gold Glove at the hot corner. Doesn’t have the same pop as the number one but he is very fast and is a legitimate lead off hitter. He is only 27 and already has a cupboard full of awards.

3. Archie Aldridge The best 3rd baseman in the NL is you guessed it, another former SS. He already has 3 gold gloves and is a front runner for this years. Steals bases well enough he could bat leadoff and has 90 rbi potential due to solid power and .300 type batting average.

4. Olmedo Alfonseca Our first true 3rd baseman. Is only average with the glove when compared to the top three. Is really having a breakout year hitting almost 70 points about his career average (at .336). A solid base runner he should also be good for about 90 rbi.

5. Trevor Thebeau Another player having a break out season. Batting .335 with a plus .400 OBP. He sports 30 homer power and isn’t awful on the bases. Doesn’t really have the arm to play 3rd but moves around well enough to keep him being the worst fielder in the league.

6. Doug Clark At the age of 31 he still hasn’t gotten the recognition that he truly deserves. Batting .300 with a shot at 30 homers and 100 rbi. Doesn’t run at all due to his weak knees. Still a solid gloveman who makes the routine plays but not the spectacular ones.

7. Jamie Moore Moore sits right on the line of what would be considered an average 3rd baseman in addicted. He has solid pop and a good eye. Doesn’t run well and sometimes makes bad choices on the bases. He has a strong but erratic arm that makes him about middle of the pack fielding wise.

8. Robert Merrick One of the up and comers at this position. He was drafted as a SS but doesn’t really have the skills to play there. Does however have the skills to be a rather flashy 3rd baseman that will be among the best season in season out. Has OK power and OK speed, his best quality is his batting avg which will probably be around .300

9. Dennis Yang Played SS about a decade ago and is now one of the smoother fielders at 3rd. Is still pretty quick but takes too many chances when stealing. Hits for good average but doesn’t walk or have enough power to bat in the top 6 of most orders any more.

10. Jorge Olmeda Has already won a Silver Slugger at third and is only 25. Has increased his avg but still doesn’t know how to draw a walk. Does have great power and is a threat to leave the yard every time up. Is a strong fielder despite his cement feet that keep him glued to the bases.

The Leagues 10 Best 2nd Basemen

2010-01-07T21:07:00.000-05:00

1. Abraham Fonda He can pretty much do it all. On pace for 25-100 with 30 steals and a .335 avg a .400 OBP. His fielding isn’t great but he holds his own and is close to the complete package as this league has at 2nd base.

2. Steve Wells His game is almost more well rounded then Fonda. Right now is hitting for better power while stealing as many bases and fields slightly better. Is at times to aggressive on the bases and doesn’t draw as many walks. Probably will never be as good a run producer as Fonda, but still very good.

3. Chip Hodges His stat line isn’t as flashy as others, but he gets the job done on a nightly basis. On pace for over 100 rbi and 100 runs while only hitting 10 homers and stealing 25 bases. Also going to draw 100 walks and plays a very solid second base. Reminds me of Tommy Herr in the mid 80’s.

4. Lorenzo Gabriel Is perhaps the most explosive hitter at this position. Is on pace for a 40-30 season (homers-steals). Gets caught stealing his fair share and doesn’t draw enough walks. Is a very good fielder. He shows why 2nd base is one of the deepest positions in this league as he could very easily be ranked number one.

5. Gabby Rogers Wow, Wow, Wow!!! Stealing over a base a game and scoring at an almost equal pace. Beyond singles doesn’t add much with the stick. Is also one of the weaker fielders and really needs to work on getting his throws out of the dirt.

6. Harry Alicea The only thing from keeping out of the top five is his somewhat reckless nature on the bases. Should hit 25 homers with around 100 rbi. Draws a decent amount of walks and plays the postion well enough to not need a defensive replacement.

7. Virgil Rodriguez Is having a down season as far as power and steals goes. Is however still doing enough to be ranked with the best. Hitting an incredible .339 and getting on base over 40% of the time. Never much of a fielder he is towards the bottom end there. Still on pace for 100 rbi despite only having 4 homers a third of the way thru the season.

8. Jordan Mahaffey If not for Toby Douglas, he would stand a good chance at winning a Gold Glove, but he is only 23 so he still has time. Hitting a solid .270 and on pace for about 15 homers and 50 steals. He isnt just a one trick pony.

9. Hector Pavlik A sure handed fielder, that is also one the smartest baserunners in the game. Draws a solid amount of walks and is bargain at just over a million and a half season.

10. Bruce King One of the most sought after free agents this off season he signed a huge 8 million a season contract. While his power is way down he is stealing at a unprecedented rate that should get him close to 50 steals. His avg is also down but should draw over 100 walks this season. Below average as a fielder will probably be moved to the outfielder in a season or two.

The Leagues 10 Best 1st Basemen

2010-01-06T16:40:00.000-05:00

1. Rob Willis In just his 3rd major league season this 24 year old has shown that he is among the elite 1st basemen. Currently on pace for another 30 homer 100 rbi season, he also adds solid speed and gold glove type ability. Will continue to grow as a player and should develop better power. Looks like a future Hall of Famer.

2. Mel Haywood Would be the front runner for the Gold Glove if not for Mark Yamaguchi. Hitting well above .330 with a plus 400 OBP. His power isn’t as great as in years past he still drives in runs and should finish with over 100 RBI again this season.

3. Dennis Newfield This former MVP is having another MVP type season. On pace for 30+ homers and 120+ RBI. Hitting above his career avg at .327 and plus 400 OBP. Doesn’t steal bases or get caught stealing, he is also about average fielding wise.

4. Tanner Magnante Usually known for swatting massive homers this slugger already has a cabinet full of awards. He is quietly having another solid season. Only on pace for 20 homers 80 RBI he does the little things really well. Could draw 100 walks for the 2nd time and is a solid defensive 1st baseman that occasionally makes a spectacular play.

5. Billy Corey Another young slugger that has seen his power numbers drop off sharply. After hitting 54 homers last season, might not reach 30 this year. Does have one of the highest batting averages for a 1st baseman and an OBP close to .400. Still learning to play 1st he is a only at best avg defensively.

6. Leonardo Mackowiak Another former MVP. Drives in runs, hits homers and walks a lot. Pretty much all you want from a 1st baseman. On the other hand, he has never hit for great avg, and with each passing day his range gets less and less. One of the all time greats is now just good.

7. F.P. Koskie Another smooth fielding 1st baseman in the mold of Wally Joyner, still swings a solid stick but his power seems to be fading every month. Other then fielding and batting for a good average doesn’t do enough to be listed with the top tier 1st basemen.

8. Spike Barkley Former catcher is having a career season with the bat. On pace for 30+ homers and 100+ rbi. Too bad for him he is one of the worst fielders in the league. A move to the AL might be best for his career.

9. Tomas Javier The senior member of the Toros is having another solid season at the dish. On pace for 50 jacks and 100 rbi. Doesn’t walk and doesn’t run. His lack of durability hurts his performance but a solid glove and good instincts help him defensively.

10. Mark Yamaguchi Meet the Gold Glove winner for season 14. Is having an awful year batting wise but does everything else better then everyone else. Runs well and fields even better. San Diegos solid pitching is supported by their teams better defense.

AL West Analysis

2010-01-05T15:14:00.003-05:00

AL WEST

Scottsdale Sunny- mdtiger's squad shot out of the gate but have cooled off a bit recently. Still they lead the division with a 25-23 record. .521 Act Pct just about matches their .518 Exp Pct. Signed a number of older FAs. The best so far has been 1B Wayne Smalley(.300, 9, 36). They are in the top half of the league in most offensive categories. The pitching is a bit schizo. Top half of the league in HR allowed, OSLG, Ks, & ERA. Bottom half in Hits, Walks, OAV, OBP, & WHIP. Offense is led by DH Jumbo Flores(.346, 8, 40), 1B Wayne Smalley(.300, 9, 36), & 3B Zach Tatum(14 HR, 31 RBI). RF Hector Soto leads the league with 22 SBs. SS Julius Serrano is very good defensively, but that's a lot of $$ to pay for his limited O. The team lacks a true #1 starter. SPs Jesus Benitez, Fritz Starr, & FA signee Fergie Chouinard are all 4-4. Carson Hoffman id 6/8 in Saves, but has a 5.79 ERA. After a 66-96 campaign last year, the Sunny should be somewhat improved, but not enough to stay in contention in this tough division all year.

Boise Browncoats- Evan43's club won 106 games and made it to the WS in season 13. They're off to a sluggish start thru the first part of the the season at 24-23 and 2nd place. And even that(.511) is better than expected(.470). Re-signed Fireman of the Year Felipe Cairo(1.66, 12 Svs) and he's as good as ever. Also re-signed 40 year old future HOFer Joey Montgomery(1-5, 5.48) but he may be at the end of the road. FA SP Luther Rupe(6.97 ERA) was never that good and looks to be on the downside. The Coats lead the league in SBs(71) but are last in HR(33) and the SLG(.376, 14th) and OPS(.724, 12th) are way down. The pitching, a strength last season, has fallen off somewhat in the early going. They hover near the league average in most categories. Bright spots on offense include soph SS Rafael Carrara(.350, 8, 29) and 4 time MVP DH Olmedo Rivas(.294, 11, 34). 5 players already have double digit SBs, but only one, Rivas, has double digit HRs. However, 5 players have 28 or more RBIs. With All Star LF Alfonso Tejera and former ROY 1B Jose Marquez and others, this team should be fine offensively in the long run. 2 time Cy Young winner Bobby Stephenson(3-2, 3.50), Jarrett Stechschulte(4-2, 3.10), & Artie Dimaggio(3-1, 3.32, on DL) are solid, but Tony Perez and Montgomery are weak 4-5 starters. With 20 players on the ML squad 28 or older, the Browncoats are still a legitimate contender, but the clock is running.

Vancouver Villains- jvburns club won 95 games last year, and that was only good for 3rd place in what was an extremely tough division. Currently at 22-25, 2.5 games off the pace. They are under performing to date(.468 act/.539 exp). Resigned his own ancient FA Trevor Roa, but he's on the 60-day DL and my be done. Also signed defensive C Vicente Romano. The Villains boast one of the better offenses in the league. 4th in BA, 6th in Runs, 4th in Hits, 2nd in 2Bs, 2nd in SBs, 3rd in OBP, 6th in SLG, and 5th in OPS. The pitching staff is performing well overall too. 5th in Hits allowed, 8th in RA, 5th in HRA, 5th in OAV, 7th in OBP, 4th in OSLG, 5th in WHIP. ERA(4.62) is right at the league avg, while K's and BBs fall in the bottom half. Tied for the league lead in FldPct at .991. Hard to fathom why this club is playing below .500 ball. DH Bump Sabel hit 36 dingers last year, only 3 so far this season, but he's is hitting .328. Already a 2 time All Star at 24, 1B Rob Willis(.328, 9, 30) is off to a good start. All Star 3B Al Canseco is having a power outage(4 HR). CF D'Angelo Escobar(.275, 18 SB) is doing OK in his first season as a starter. Slugger Alton Buckley has 12 HR but is only hitting .230. SPs Shane Coffman, Johnny Richardson, & Harry Seneca all have OAV under .260, yet they're only a combined 8-8. jv can't seem to settle on an everyday closer as no one has stepped forward to grab the job. With the stats this team has put up, I can't imagine they'll be below .500 for too long.

San Jose Giants- nzballa's Giants were one of only 2 AL clubs to win 100 or more games last year. Unfortunately for him, that other one also played in his division. They are going to have to go some to come close to that total this season. Playing below expectations to date(.438 act/..479 exp), they;re currently bringing up the rear at 21-27. To beef up the offense, SJ traded for 2 time MVP RF Ramiro Guevara(10 HR, 40 RBI). Also acquired setup man Pedro Matos(.324 OAV, 9.53 ERA) but he's been awful so far. In the bottom third of the league in most offensive categories. Always one of the better pitching teams in the league, and this year is no exception. 1st in OAV & Ks. 2nd in RA, OBP, & OSLG. 3rd in ER, WHIP, & ERA. DH Floyd McFarland(.325, 11, 24), former ROY & All Star 1B Luis Guillen(.316, 6, 25), & Guevara lead the offense. Many of the SPs on this club would be Aces on most other staffs. Dave Wilkinson(3.12 ERA, .232 OAV, 3-4), Sean Brown(4-2, 3.00, .238 OAV), Raymond Morton(5-2, 3.60, .224 OAV), & Phil Corino(3-3, 3.06, .203), have all been very good. Shane Rolls(6.66, 2-6) has not. Closer Alberto Aparicio is 12/12 in save ops. The 'O' is not scoring enough runs and that's gonna put an awful lot of stress on the pitching. That may be too much to ask in a very tough division.

AL South Analysis

2010-01-04T18:05:00.004-05:00

AL SOUTH

New Orleans Freebeads- In what looks to be a competitive division, joshoakley current has his team tied for the lead at 25-21. They are underachieving a bit to date(.556 act/.596 exp). They have been playing well at home with a 16-9 record. Thus far, they have been one of the top offensive clubs. They are 1st in SLG, Runs, Hits, 3B, RBI & OPS. 2nd in BA, 2B, & HR. They are also 2nd in Ks, so it looks like a hit or miss offense. So far, mostly hit. On the pitching side, other than K's, where they rank 2nd, the Beads are the epitome of average. Nearly every pitching rank sits right at or near the league average. Team currently tied for last in FA at .978 with a league worst 38 Es. FA RP Delino Castillo(2.38 ERA) has done a good job so far, FA RP Eric Robbins(.397 OAV, 9.22 ERA) has not. C Hector Gonzales(.331, 16, 43), LF Vic Rijo(.297, 14, 44*), & 3b Bill Mercedes(.342, 9, 32) lead a potent offense. Speedy 2B Howie Dickson has 15 SBs. Rookie SP Ivan Alexander(5-2, 3.55 ERA) has been the top starter. Nominal ace Pete Gardner is 4-0. Closer John Chiba is 7/9 in Saves with a 1.80 ERA. Looks like a solid club that should contend all year despite some shortcomings on the pitching end. But how can you not love a club with players named Stuffy, Pokey, & Jumbo on the roster!
*=league leader.

Louisville Sluggers- Looks like davidbutler9's Sluggers may finally be rounding into shape. They are currently tied for 1st at 25-21. While only .500 at home, they are 13-10 on the road. david has had his managerial prowess on display as he has the boys playing a bit over their heads to date(.533 act/ .486 exp). A trade for top CF Ivan Gonzalez(.220, 11 RBI, 7 SB) has been disappointing so far. Louisville is in the bottom 1/3 of the league in nearly all significant offensive categories. It's the pitching that has carried them so far in the early going. They are 2nd in RA & SLG. 4th in ERA and Hits. 1st HR allowed. Their .984 FA is in the top half of the league. Offense is led by perennial All Star 2B Virgil Rodriguez(.327, 31 RBI) & power hitting 3B Lou Beamon(8 HR, 27 RBI). SP Harry Velazquez(7-2, 2.01 ERA) was a top IFA signing last season and looks to be one of the leagues top hurlers for years to come. Omar Cela is 6-2. Closer Vin Guevara is 12/14 in Saves. Don't know if they will hang in there all year, but it sure looks like the Sluggers have turned the corner.

Monterrey Cheeseheads- vector21's club is currently in 3rd place, and is playing slightly better than expectations(.500 act/.480 exp). He was pretty active in signing FAs coming into the season and spent plenty of $$ doing it. On the plus side have been RP T.J. Wagner(.234 OAV, 2 Svs), RP Felipe Vincente(4/5 Svs), & CL D'Angelo Figureoa(0.90 ERA, 6/6 Svs). So far FA 2B Bruce King(.258, 5, 23, 14 SB) must be a disappointment at $8M/4yrs + a $2.5M bonus. Kind of a split personality offense. Above average in Runs(5th), 3B(T2nd), HR(T4). Below average in BA(11th), Hits(11th), OPS(9th). The pitching staff has had it's problems. The ERA(5.04) is 14th. The rest of the picture's not pretty either. WHIP(T13), OSLG(13), OBP(12), OAV(13), Hits(15), Runs(15). That's too much pressure for an inconsistent offense to overcome. The team is also 14th in FldPct. Inconsistent offense, bad pitching, and mediocre fielding is not a recipe for long term success. Some bright spots include 1B/LF Diego Moreno(.350 BA), DH Gary Hardy(.328, 11, 26), LF Ernest Payton(.299, 6, 32, 10SB). SP Lewis Locko is 5-1 despite a 5.55 ERA, while Tom Benes(2-4, 3.58) appears to have pitched in some bad luck. 3B/SS Dolf Titan has 38 RBI, but is only hitting .234. Mark Jones must do more to justify his big contract. Rule5 pickup Charlie Robertson(.182) has done nothing. Former #1 pick Reid Bagwell may have been rushed to the ML a bit too soon. vector has done a good job to keep this team in contention to date. I'll be surprised if he manages to do it all year.

Florida Fire Sailfish- Commish jmercer77's club is currently bringing up the rear, but at only 4 games back is still well within striking distance at 21-25. They're at .500 at home, but only 6-10 away. .448 exp/.457 act has them right about where they are expected to be. Fun fact-only team in league not to have played an extra inning game yet. 2nd year 3B Robert Merrick(.304, 5, 30) was acquired in a trade and has been a pleasant surprise. The Fish hover at just about the league average in almost all offensive categories except HRs where they rank 11th. Almost all the pitching stats rank in the bottom 1/3 of the league. The team FldPct(.985) is right at the league average. Bright spots on offense include Merrick, 1BJorge Mairena(.342, 5, 25), 2 time MVP RF Miguel Palacios(.306, 9, 34), & slugging DH Lance Kelleher(8 HR, 31 RBI). An All Star last year in his rookie season, young SP Oswaldo Cruz(3-5, 5.59) is encountering the sophomore jinx. He's a good one, though. Bob Kelly(5-1, 2.59) is off to a very good start. Rookie SP Daniel Fitzgerald(2-6, 5.90) is finding the going a bit tough. Welcome to the ML, Danny! Retreads Fritz Dykhoff & Jamie Adkins have limited ML value. Closer Diego Garza is 10/11 in Saves with a 1.74 ERA. With only 3 players on the ML roster 30 or over, this team is on the rise, but they may not be ready to contend just yet.

Hall of Fame Ballot Season 10

2010-01-04T11:11:00.001-05:00

Same deal as in the past, owners will be contacted if they are eligible to vote by trade chat. 75% is required to enter the hall, 25% to stay on the ballot for next season. 3 Years maximum.

2nd Time on the Ballott

James Duran
Sam Perry

1st Time
Peter Anderson
Will Banks
Max Belliard
Steve Calderon
Louie Castro
Bruce Charles
Jae Cortes
John Cust
Leonardo Dipoto
Francis Hayes
Alfonso Izquierdo
Toby Lomasney
Nigel Martin
Kenny McDowell
Javy Pujols
Alex Prieto
Del Snyder

AL North

2010-01-03T15:35:00.003-05:00

Early Season Analysis

AL NORTH

Montreal Mounties- This is, by far, the biggest surprise in the early going. After finishing 26 games below .500 as the Milwaukee Alcoholics, new owner winmyron has his club in 1st place with a league best 28-14 record. This is an experienced owner and he swung some big trades to turn this team around, getting CF Julio Guerrero(.323 BA), SP Esteban Lee(5-0), SS C.J. Weaver(9 HRs, 38 RBI), & 1B F.P. Koskie(.295, 33 RBI). FA signees 1B/DH Benito Johnson(321 BA) & DH Delino Marin(.341) have had a positive impact. The Mounties are playing a little better than expected(.635 exp/.667 act). They seem to love home cookin'-16-4 in the friendly confines. On offense, they lead the league in BA(.304), OBP, Hits, & OPS. They're just 1 run off the lead in RS. The pitching is average, being just above or below league averages in most categories. Other offensive standouts include 3B Pablo Chavez(.348, 37 RBI) & 2B Abraham Fonda(.333, 7, 32). SP Junior Tamura is 6-1, & closer Heath Donovan is 10/10 in Saves with a 0.82 ERA. winmyron looks like he's pulled out the stops to go all the way this year. He may have to slug his way to a title, though, unless the pitching can show significant improvement.

Minnesota Twinkies- brentnet's Twinkies have been a perennial powerhouse, but they've gotten off to a sluggish start this year. Currently in 2nd place in the division at 20-22. At 8 games back, they better get it in gear before Montreal runs away with the division. Signed one FA, RP Placido Martinto a 3 year contract at $5M/yr with a $10M bonus. I'm not sure what role he is to play, since he's been in 23 games and has started 6. Not sure why brent has a guy with 20 STA starting games. I am sure that a 5.82 ERA as not what he was expecting. Traded for good D, no stick SS Johnny Adams. As bad a start as they've had, their record is better than expected(.411 exp/.476 act). The Twinks can still pound the ball, 2nd in HRs at 62. 4th in Runs, SLG, & OPS. BA, OBP & 2Bs are right around the league averages, but they lead in strikeouts with 298. Looks like a hit big, miss big offense. The team ERA is last at 5.86 and that won't get it done no matter how much they hit. Last also in OAvg, WHIP, & RA. 15th in OSLG & OBP. Bright spots on offense include C Sidney Martin(.398 BA, 1.096 OPS), 1B Billy Corey(.319, 7, 26), 3B Scott Coles(9 HR) & LF Alan Sadler(10 HR). SP Mel Pearson (4-3, 2.82 ERA) & Herman Cox(5-2, 2.91) have been reliable. Jeff Nixon(6.52) & T.J. Shaw(6.08) have not. Closer by committee is 6/15 in Saves. Unless the pitching makes a dramatic turn around, it may be a long, cold winter in Minnesota.

Toronto Toros- goldenboy69's club is currently in 3rd place at 19-23, 9 games behind the leader. Their .456 act pct is better than their .418 exp pct. FA signee 1B Tomas Javier(.295, 17, 33) has been a pleasant surprise, 2B Santos Guerrero(.275, 1, 12, 14 SBs) not so much. Batting-BA, Hits, & OBP-15th. 4th in HR. 14th in RS. Pitching stats are right at or below league averages in most categories. Offense is being led by 3B Trevor Thebeau(.310, 10, 20) & Javier. SP Alexander Lawrence has been a bright spot(4-1, .240 OAV, 2.11 ERA). Olmedo Molina(3.77, 3-3, .254 OAV) has been respectable. Closer Eugene Carlson is 10/14 in Saves. gb is in rebuilding mode, but I don't see too much to get excited about. Youngsters Lawrence, Carlson, Eddie Post, Aaron Callaway , Delino Morales, and Allen Barkley provide some hope for the future. Doubtful this club will contend this season.

Madison Meek Madness- owner sccrplyr16 moved his Wichita Waffle House Posse to a new home in Madison this season. The Madness has been Meek so far this season at 18-24 and in last place. Still they are playing better(.429) than expected(.351), so that's something. Aged FA SP Brandon Saarloos(.205 OBA, 2.35 ERA) has been good so far. Offensively, this team is las in the league in BA, OBP, SLG, OPS, Hits, and Runs. That's not good. Pitching is last in HRA and OSLG and is below the league average in most other categories. That's not good either. Offense is lead by C Justin Winston(.301, 6 HR). LF Norm Nady has 20 RBI & 13 SB. SP Julio Cedeno(5-4, 3.60 ERA) remains one of the better pitchers in the league despite little support. Closer Phil Bannister has saved 11 of 14. Hope for the future resides in 1B Vicente Rios, CF Brian Nation, Nady, RF Dom Coscarart, & Bannister. Not this year, however.

Early Season Report

2010-01-03T11:31:00.003-05:00

OK. It's time to see who's gotten off to a hot start and who's not! It's the Annual 1/4 Pole Report!

AL EAST

New York Torrones- We'll start off with the team most important to me. ME! :) The Torrones have played the role of bridesmaid in this division for 5 years running. This team has won over 90 games the last 3 seasons, but that was not good enough to take the division from grissom's Columbus Clippers. Currently tied for the division lead at 24-18 with Cincy(nee Columbus). The Exp win Pct is .551 while actual is .571, so they are playing a bit better than expected at the moment. That's not my perception, however, as I feel like we are playing nowhere near as good as we are capable of. Even so, offensively we're in the top 5 in runs, hits, 3Bs, RBIs, BA, & OBP. Pitching is doing well. 4th in ERA, 2nd in OAV, T1 in OBP, 1st in OSLG, 6th in RA, 2nd in Ks, 3rd in BB, and giving up less than a hit an IP. As I write this, I don't know why I feel like we are underachieving! Maybe because a couple of long time stalwarts are off to slow starts. Ace A.J. Freeman is off to an awful start(2-5, 6.23 ERA). Slugger Dan Jones(.225 BA, 6HRs) seems to have been hit by the recent update, but it's still early. A pre-season trade brought in CF Chad Wolf, who is off to a good start with a .333 BA. 1B Tanner Magnante(.327, 6, 24) is rebounding from a sub-par season. SP's Vince Livingstone & Victor Colome have 4 wins each and closer B.C. Garland has 8 saves. Recent callup LRP Eswalin Alou has yet to give up a run in 10IP. This team is a legitimate contender, but they better do something in the next few season or their core players are going to get too old to get it done.

Cincinnati Knights- formerly the Columbus Clippers, this club has won the division for the last 3 seasons. They have been taken over by 1st time owner brentcnb and moved to Cincy. They are currently tied for the division lead at 24-18. Despite leading the league in RS(264), they are playing a bit below expectations(.571 act/.595 exp). Signed 6 FAs, but so far only RP Raymond Smith has been effective as a part of a closer-by-committee. Very good offensive start as they are 2nd in Hits, RBI, BA, 2Bs, OBP, and 3rd in OPS, SLG, HR, & BBs. Pitchin is a different story. A 5.10 ERA ranks 14th. 13th in RA, OAV. 12th in OSLG. Last in OBP. Those are not stats that will get it done over a full season, no matter how much you hit. They are 2nd in the league in Fld Pct at .991 and have made only 14 Es(2nd). Early season bright spots include former MVP LF Billy Ledee(.384 BA,12 HR, 33 RBI), C Joey Cannon(.330, 9,35), & RF Bailey Baptist(.309,8,24). On the pitching side, perennial All Star & 2 time Cy Young winner Pedro Alarcon(4-0, 2.58 ERA, .211 OAV) remains one of the league's best.Rookie LRP Barry McKain has 5 wins. Must get better results from Lyle Melhuse(5.09 ERA) and find a way to round out the starting staff or they will have trouble contending all year.

Norfolk Navigators- another new, but experienced, owner for this franchise in cspring. This squad (formerly Boston) is currently 2 games back at 22-20. Playing a little below exp(.524 act, .557 exp). Traded former ROY F.P. Koskie for 3 prospects in a decidedly csherwood-like move. FA pickup Gene Oquist(.285, 6, 24) has been good. His other FA, SP Yamil Diaz has a great OAV(.226) & a good ERA(3.73) that has not translated into wins(2-4). Traded for much travelled SP Monte Brown, who is still effective(5-3, .259 OAV). Below league averages in most offensive categories, but they have scored 210 runs. The pitching leads the league with a 4.05 ERA. Top 5 in Hits, Runs, OAV, OBP, OSLG, & WHIP. DH Miguel Palacios is hitting .368. SS Max Chavez is hitting .308, 4, 19. C Stevie Bonilla has provided some pop(.296, 7, 22). In addition to Brown, SP Alan Lowell(4-4, 2.70 ERA) has been effective.SP Ronnie Clark is 5-2. It's been closer by committee as 4 RP have split 11 saves. The Navs will have to maintain their pitching excellence and improve their offensive output to be considered a serious contender this year.

Tamps Bay NEWHAMPSHIRE MUDHENS- Wow, that's a mouthful! The 3rd new owner for the AL East is sport65, another first year owner. This team was abandoned last year and babysat by timf for the 2nd half of the season. They are currently playing well below expectations(431 exp, 357 act). Their 15-27 record has the 9 games off the pace in the early going. Fell into a typical new owner trap of signing a lot of has-been and never-was FAs, all of whom have been released or are seriously under performing, with the lone exception of LF Ross Rhodes, but he's 36, not exactly the type of player you build a team around. Gave way too much money to light hitting C Osvaldo Valentin, regardless of his defensive prowess. In the bottom 3 in just about every meaningful offensive category. The pitching staff has been holding it's own so far. 2nd in ERA, BB, & WHIP. 1st in RA, ER, OBP. 3rd in OAV. 4th in OSLG. RF/DH Al Cairo is leading the club in BA(.329). There really isn't much else to speak of offensively. SP Raymond Lincoln has been a workhorse(11 starts, .221 OAV, 3.29 ERA) but has little to show for it with a 3-6 record. Closer Matty Colon is 4/5 in Saves. This club need a serious upgrade to its offense before it can expect to contend. As a first time owner, perhaps sport65 took on too much by juggling 3 teams at once. This being the deep sim it is, it takes quite a while to effectively learn the ropes.

Top 15 Bullpen Prospects - Season 13

2009-11-18T15:16:00.002-05:00

Again, my opinion. Guys must project to be a reliever (LR/Setup/Closer) and may not have appeared in an ML game. Enjoy!
1. (prev:1) Guillermo Sivilla New Orleans – DraftRd1Sea12 - Proj: 86 – ETA: Season 16 - The top relief prospect in the game. Nasty two-pitch combo. Saved 22 games between Low A and High A with a sub 2.87 ERA and 1.06 WHIP.
2. (prev:2) Trever Stratton Buffalo – DraftSea11Rd1 – Proj: 76 – ETA: Season 15 – Best closer prospect in the game. Will be an all-star and perennial contender for the Fireman of the Year. A perfect 20 for 20 in saves in AA, although abnormally high ERA and WHIP are concerning.
3. (prev:4) Geraldo Sanchez Florida – IFASea11 – Proj: 79 – ETA – Season 15 –One of the top closer prospects in the game. Should compete for multiple Fireman of the Year awards. Outperformed higher rated prospects in AA.
4. (prev:3) Tom Holmes Oakland – DraftSea12Rd1 – Proj: 83 – ETA: Season 15 – Versitile enough to fulfill any relief duty. One of the top relief prospects in the game. Looking to rebound from an average season in AA.
5. (prev:7) Gordon Allensworth Vancouver – DraftSea12Rd1 – Proj: 78 – ETA: Season 15 – Fireballer that will dominant lefties and hold his own against righties. Solid with all-star potential. A perfect 17 for 17 between High A and AA.
6. (prev: NR) Lorenzo Guillen San Jose - IFASea13 - Proj: 80 - ETA: Season 18 -An absolute steal on the IFA market, He's going to make a lot of owners foolish for blowing their IFA money early in the season.
7. (prev:8) Rex Sweeney Oakland – DraftSea12Rd1* - Proj: 77 – ETA: Season 17 – Talented rookie destined to be one of the top long relievers in
the game. A little weak vs. righties. Solid, but not spectacular, season in AA.
8. (prev:10) Greg Shelley Florida – DraftSea11Rd1 – Proj: 78 – ETA: Season 16 – Saved 24 games for the High A Orange. Will be a nice closer for many years. Saved 30 out of 35 games in High A after his trade to Florida.
9. (prev:NR) Ryan Green Cleveland - DraftRd1Sea13 - Proj: 78 - ETA: Season 17 - Could be the best long reliever in the game once he breaks into the ML. Elite control, makeup, and patience.
10. (prev: NR) Yamid Astacio Florida - IFASea13 - Proj: 76 - ETA: Season 19 - Overpaid prospect with the stuff to be elite. May be slowed by inadequate durabiltiy for the bullpen. Solid season in the Rookie league.
11. (prev:13) Willie Martinez Durham – IFASea9 – Proj: 73 – ETA: Season 14 – He saved 23 games for the AA Bears and has a chance to be the closer of the future for Durham. In line for a promotion to teh bigs in Season 14 after a solid AAA campaign.
12. (prev:14) Justin Cedeno Minnesota – DraftSea12Rd1 – Proj: 74 – ETA: Season 17 – Talented rookie with great control and vs. RH. Will be a quality Setup man at the worst. Progressing on schedule.
13. (prev:15)Hod Boudreau Durham – DraftSea11Rd2 – Proj: 74 – ETA: Season 16 – Lefty with one of the top change-ups in the game. Trouble with righties may keep him from closing at the ML level. Solid Season 13 in High A.
14. (prev:12) Quinn Ruebel Vancouver – DraftSea10Rd14 - Proj: 73 – ETA: Season 15 –This draft day gem has a chance to make an impact at the ML level in a setup role. Roughed up in AAA and losing ranking position.
15. (prev: NR) Eswalin Alou New York - IFASea12 - Proj: 74 - ETA: Season 15 - Solid ratings and production makes this newcomer to the list a sure bet for the ML.

Top 25 SP Prospects - End of Season 13

2009-11-18T11:31:00.003-05:00

Based on my opinion. Players qualify if they project as a starter and have never played in the ML. Top bullpen prospects are next.......

1. (prev: 1) Phil Corino San Jose – DraftSea11Rd1 – Proj: 87 – ETA: Season 14 – ML ready SP that will need at least one more season in AAA in order to reach his potential. In the argument for best pitching prospect in the game. Stellar ERA and whip in AAA did not translate into wins.
2. (prev: 2) Felipe Reyes San Diego – DraftSea10Rd1 – Proj: 86 – ETA: Season 15 – A future ace, and one of the top SP prospects in the game. Currently in AAA and split time between AA and AAA in Season 13.
3. (prev: 3) Santos Quixote Durham – DraftSea10Rd1 – Proj:84 – ETA: Season 14 – Maybe the top SP prospect in the game. Should be a multiple all-star and candidate for the Cy Young. Sub 2.00 ERA and sub 1.00 whip in AA.
4. (prev: 5) Junior Valdivia San Diego – DraftSea11Rd1 – Proj: 85 – ETA: Season 15 – A future ace that, combined with Reyes, will give San Diego the top 1-2 rotation in the game. May not walk a batter his entire career. Nice season between High A and AA.
5. (prev: 4) Malcolm Rowe Syracuse – IFASea12 – Proj: 87 – ETA: Season 15 – Surefire #1 SP prospect with excellent control and stamina. Injury in rookie year shouldn’t slow him down, but effectiveness vs. righties might. Roughed up in High A but is progressing nicely.
6. (prev: NR) Tom Lieber San Diego - DraftRd1Sea13 - Proj: 86 - ETA: Season 17 - Dominant lefty with the stuff to become a multiple all-star. Should be excellent vs lefties, and very good vs. righties. Elite talent.
7. (prev:7) Steve Hoffman Milwaukee – DraftRd1Sea12 – Proj: 82 – ETA – Season 17 – Excellent #1SP prospect with great splits and two + pitches. Must stay healthy to fulfill his promise. Solid 12 win season in High A.
8. (prev: 6) Edgar Gonzalez Wichita – DraftRd1Sea12 - Proj: 84 – ETA: Season 15 – Should be a #1 SP. Great control and a beast against righties. Rushed through to AAA - could use a couple more seasons in the minors.
9. (prev: NR) Enrique Beltran Durham - DraftRd1Sea13 - Proj: 83 - ETA - Season 17 - 4th pitcher taken in the draft could end up being the best of the lot. Elite durabilty and velocity with very good control and splits. Lack of elite pitched keep this prospect from the Top 5.
10. (prev: 9) Domingo Santos Oakland – IFASea12 - Proj: 83 – ETA: Season 15 – Solid #2 SP prospect with great control. Can only throw three pitches. Ready for a promoting to AA after two solid seasons in High A.
11. (prev: NR) Wascar Aparicio New Orleans - IFASea13 - Proj: 81 - ETA: Season 13 - Projections place this lefty at the top of the Freebeads rotation as soon as next season. Only negative is a lack of an elite second pitch.
12. (prev:11) Al Iglesias Florida – IFASea12 – Proj: 83 – ETA: Season 16 – Should have a long career as a #2 or #3 SP. Might struggle due to lack of speed and number of pitches. Solid, but not spectacular, season in High A should earn him a promotion to AA.
13. (prev:12) Donaldo Moreno Durham – IFASea10 – Proj: 80 – ETA: Season 15 – Flamethrower destined to be a #2 or #3 SP. Good pitches, good splits, no holes in his game. Threw less than 70 innings last season which could lower his ceiling.
14. (prev:16) Clarence Wood Durham – DraftSea12Rd1 – Proj: 81 – ETA: Season 15 – Solid #3 SP prospect slowed by a brief stint on the DL this season. Good control and vs RH. Nice season in AA should earn him a promtion to AAA.
15. (prev:17) (prev:19) Jamie Martin Burlington – IFASea10 – Proj: 80 – ETA: Season 13 – Japanese fireballer prone to the long ball. Should be a solid #3 as long as he stays in a pitcher’s park. NL AAA Cy Young Award winner should make an impact in the ML next season.
16. (prev:10) Ronnie Patrick Wichita – DraftSea12Rd1 – Proj: 81 – ETA: Season 16 – Solid #2 SP prospect slowed down by elbow surgery in his rookie year. Good control and vs. RHP. Inexplicably promotesd to the majors, where he was promtly roughed up.
17. (prev:18) Roberto Acosta Florida – IFASea11 – Proj: 80 – ETA – Season 14 – ML Ready pitcher with questionable stamina for SP. May end up being the best LRA in the game. Traded to Florida, he won 6 out of 7 starts after being promoted to AA.
18. (prev:17) Milt Blake New York – DraftSea11Rd1 – Proj: 80 – ETA – Season 14 – Better than his projected overall rating, Blake has the stuff to anchor the Torrones staff for years to come – just don’t ask him to face righties. Solid AAA season, but might have to spend one more season in the minors.
19. (prev: NR) Alex Diaz Burlington - IFASea13 - Proj: 79 - ETA: Season 16 - Solid southpaw with tremendous patience and makeup, though limited by injury concerns and difficulty with righties.
20. (prev:21) Willie Valdivia Buffalo – IFASea11 – Proj:79 – ETA: Season 15 - #3 OR #4 SP Prospect with dominant stuff vs. righties. May struggle with LH dominant line-ups. Roughed up in AA this season dropped his ranking
21. (prev:22) Esteban Alomar San Jose – IFASea12 – Proj: 79 – ETA: Season 16 – Solid contributer that will spend his career in the middle of a rotation. Will struggle at times vs righties. A pitching disaster in Season 13.
22. (prev:23) Pokey Hudson New Orleans – DraftSea11Rd1* - Proj: 78 – ETA: Season 14 – Solid 5 pitch SP with good control and splits. Should peak as a #3 SP. Solid but not spectacular Season 13.
23. (prev: NR)Ed Norton Milwaukee - DraftSea13Rd1 - Proj: 79 - ETA: Season 18 -Solid middle of the rotation injury prone prospect. An awful temper with the mustache to match.
24. (prev: NR) Jackie Wells Wichita - DraftSea13Rd1 - Proj: 79 - ETA: Season 18 - Very good prospect for the middle of the rotation. If he stays healthy and plays in a pitchers park, has a chance to be a solid #2.
25. (prev: NR) J.R. Schmidt Honolulu - DraftSea13Rd1 - Proj: 78 - ETA: Season 18 - Better than his overall rating indicates, has a chance to compete for a middle of the rotation spot and become a solid SP for many seasons.

Hall of Famer: Horacio Frias 83%

2009-10-14T14:08:00.003-05:00

Horacio Frias
Toronto
none
Age: 36	B/T: R/R
Born: Haina, DO
Position(s): RF/LF/DH
View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Season 9 Hall of Fame Results

2009-10-14T10:00:00.001-05:00

The results are in and we have our 3rd inductee into the Addicted Users Hall of Fame. Remember 75% is required to make the Hall and 30% is needed to stay on the ballot for next season (maximum 3 times).

Horacio Frias 83%

Players returning for a 2nd Vote:

James Duran 42%
Sam Perry 42%

Players Returning for a 3rd Vote: None

Players who have had 3 seasons of votes or received less then the required 30%

Mo Munro 58%
Cesar James 33%
Benjamin Kirwan 17%
Domingo Franco 8%

So Duran and Perry will return for their 2nd vote next season.
Horacio Frias will be inducted into the hall once it is decided what cap he will wear.

Top 10 Catchers

2009-10-11T01:15:00.001-05:00

1. Eric Murphy
Good pitch calling, 30% of base runners thrown out and a consistent 1.000 OPS. Not much more to say.

2. Cesar Amaral
Amaral is the only catcher in the league who is truly above average both offensively and behind the plate. He has thrown out 37% of runners this year to go along with a .344 average.

3. Billy McNamara
A 2 time Gold Glover and 3 time Silver Slugger winner, Mcnamara boasts one of the best batting eyes in baseball to go along with a phenomenal arm behind the plate. The only knock on him is his below average pitch calling abilities.

4. Hector Gonzales
Another huge bat behind the dish, Gonzalez is on pace for another 40 homer season to go along with solid signal calling skills and a passable arm. Despite serious health concerns Hector has yet to miss any significant time in his big league career.

5. Olmedo Rivas
Offensively Rivas is on par with Murphy and Sydney Martin, however the future Hall of Famer’s lack of signal calling skills and average arm make him better suited for DH/1B duties.

6. Sidney Martin
For 75 or so games a season Martin is the best Catcher in baseball. A .310 average, a home run nearly every 10 at bats for his career and stellar defense are only held back by his inability to play more then half a season.

7. Stevie Bonilla
Bonilla is phenomenal with bat in hand and despite an average arm he’s a good pitch caller. Like Martin, Bonilla is held back by durability issues.

8. Clay Charles
Charles has struggled at times at the plate during his career but he seems to be putting it together this year with a .979 OPS. Defensively Clay has a good arm to go along with respectable game calling abilities.

9. Osvaldo Valentin
Valentin is the top defensive catcher in baseball, he has a great arm and outstanding game calling skills. Despite his struggles this year, Valentin has been a solid contributor with the bat in the past.

10. Omar Mercedes
While Mercedes isn’t great defensively, he is passable which is fine considering hes good for a 850+ OPS.

Top 10 Center Fielders

2009-10-10T01:30:00.002-05:00

1. Alton Buckley
A former ROY and 5 Time All Star Buckley provides one of the biggest power bats in all of baseball at a premium position. Add in his solid defense and you have the best CF in the game.

2. Willie Johnson
A former 1st Round pick, Willie Johnson is the most complete offensive CF in baseball. Hes combined power, contact, speed and a great eye to post some impressive career numbers at age 27. Defensively, Johnson is below average with the glove and his range is not a great strength.

3. Archie Aldridge
The recently converted SS does it all. A great contact hitter with speed and knowledge on the bases, Alridge is solid in the field and has one of the best outfield arms in all of baseball.

4. Freddy Franco
The defensive whiz is the benchmark for CFers in the field. At the plate Franco hits for a respectable average and launches his fair share of four baggers while piling up the stolen bases.

5. C.J. Weaver
Another converted SS, Weaver combines one of the most powerful swings among ML CFers with good speed and a solid eye. The 10 year vet has a phenomenal arm and gets the job done in the field despite his diminishing range.

6. Ivan Gonzalez
The prototypical leadoff man is good for a solid average/OBP and a tonne of steals every year. Despite his average arm, defensively Gonzalez is one of best in the game.

7. Henry Green
Green is having a phenomenal offensive season and is the front runner for the NL ROY. Defensively however, it doesn’t look as though his glove will play long term in CF.

8. Aramis Vizquel
A former Gold Glover, Vizquel can still get it done in the field and has averaged nearly 30 homers a year over his career.

9. Clayton Hairston
While hes lost a step… or 5, Hairston, one of the top leadoff men in the game is having a career year despite a recent trip to the DL.

10. Alex Jose
Despite struggling versus righties, Jose is generally good for a .800 OPS to go along with his average defense.

The Bum Clark Award

2009-10-05T14:34:00.000-05:00

The Leagues Best Overall Shortstop

1. Sparky Wasdin By far and away the best fielding SS in the game. Made two errors in one game to double his total to 4. Having a career year with the bat on pace for over 25 homers 70 rbi and a career high .281 avg.
2. Julius Serrano Smooth fielder with a loads of range. Hitting a solid .283 with 8 homers but only 23 RBI. The 11 steals are nice but getting caught 14 times is a huge downside.
3. Marshall Ferrell His 17 errors and .958 fielding percentage are the only things keeping him from the #1 spot. 12 homers 46 RBI 15 steals and a .289 avg make him one of the best offensive SS in the game.
4. Yuniesky Franco Almost identical a fielder to Ferrell, 17 errors and a .957 fielding %. His bat is almost the same as well 15 homers, 45 RBI, 13 steals and a .286 AVG. It would be easy to confuse these two players with each other.
5. Jamie Leonard Burst onto the scene last season as one of the more flashy fielders. Has made 11 errors but has good range and a solid .973 %. Is batting a solid .310 but has only 1 homer and 5 steals. Is on pace for over 70 RBi though.
6. Ricky Lawton Very average fielder, 15 errors and a .960%. A skilled bats men is one of the games leading hitters (.356 avg). His carrer high of 31 homers is a long way off as he has only 3 this season to go with 8 steals.
7. Francis Bennett Next to Sparky Wasdin is probably the best fielder in the game. Has 4 errors and an amazing .990 %. Too bad his .259 avg and 2 homers don’t add much else to his resume.
8. Archie Aldridge Middle of the pack fielder 12 errors, .962%. Hitting an incredible .340 with 5 homers and 15 steals.
9. Edgardo Machado Yes he is left handed, and yes he doesn’t get to all the balls he should. Does have a solid .964 % despite his 27 bad plays. Is one of the best overall hitting SS in the game however, 10 homers 43 RBI and 6 steals with a .288 AVG.
10. Lawrence Gwynn His shaky fielding (.958%, 17 errors) are almost offset but his amazing bat. .321 AVG, 14 homers 38 RBI. If he could steal even a little he would be in the top 5.

AL West 1/3 Pole analysis

2009-10-05T07:54:00.002-05:00

AL WEST

SAN JOSE GIANTS- as proclaimed by nzballa on the chat, the West has the 3 best records in the league as of this writing. San Jose currently sports the leagues best record at 44-24. Their .647 Act Pct is slightly better than expected(.638), but the difference is insignificant. A big reason for their league best record is an excellent 14-8 showing in one-run games. While a mere 2 games over .500 on the road, they are a scorching 27-9 in the friendly confines. The offense has been decidedly average. The Giants .273 BA and .440 SLG ranks 13th. Hits(676) are 14th and HRs(93) 13th. They are next to last in SBs with 13. All that means is that their pitching, always a strength, is excellent. The ERA(3.73) leads the league by a wide margin. They rank 1st in OAV(.273), OBP(.319), SLG(.407, & WHIP(1.32). SP Dave Wilkinson leads the staff with a 9-0 record and a 2.42 ERA. He's already been named Pitcher of the Week twice this season. Bu a 60 stamina has lead to only about 5 1/2 IP per start, which puts his fate in the hands of the relievers a bit too often. Sean Brown is 9-1 and his .226 OAV is 3rd in the league. Shane Rolls must be pitching in awful luck. His 5-8 record belies his excellence. A .220 OAV and 1.09 WHIP are 2nd in the league along with a 3.34 ERA. Raymond Morton(6-4, .236 OAV) rounds out the starting staff as nz has gone with just 4 SPs so far. Let's see if they have the durability to do that all season. Closer Alberto Aparicio has been sub par, going 15-19 in saves with a .306 OAV. The rest of the relief corps has somewhat high OAVs, so San Jose's success thus far must be attributed to their stellar starting pitching. One concern as the season progresses could be the rather low STA of those SPs. It may put too much strain on the RPs. But, so far so good.

VANCOUVER VILLANS- jvburns boys are right on SJs heels with the 2nd best record in the league(43-25). Even with that, they are playing worse(.632) than EXP(.679). They are playing well both at home(24-12) and on the road(19-13). One reason their ACT is worse than the EXP might be their 9-9 record in 1-run games. The Villains score a lot of runs(454, 2nd). Tied for the league lead in BA with NY(.292), 1st in OBP(.368), and 4th in SLG(.488). They have 50 SBs to only 13 CS, an excellent ratio. The pitching has been very good too. The 4.19 ERA is 2nd as is the RA(312). The OBP(.327), OSLG(.429), & WHIP(1.36) are all 3rd in the league and the OAV(.270) is 4th. That's very good balance. The offense is lead by young RF Rob Willis(.366, 21 HR, 68 RBI, .692 SLG) who was named week 2 Player of the Week. His 1.132 OPS is 2nd in the league. He is ably supported by DH Bump Sabel(.341, 15 HR, 55 RBI, 1.004 OPS), CF Alton Buckley(18 HRs), and speedy 3B Al Canseco(20 SBs). SP Harry Seneca has a stellar .213 OAV to go with a 7-3 record. The starting staff spreads the wealth with Shane Coffman(8 wins), Johnny Richardson(7), FA Willie Ordonez(5), and Damion Sweeney(5) all winning consistently. Formerly a stalwart of Vancouver's starting staff, aging Trevor Roa has stepped in to the closer role and is doing a good job with 13 saves in 15 tries. jv burns has put together a very good club with few weaknesses and must be considered a solid choice to go all the way this season.

BOISE BROWNCOATS- Evan43 always fields a good team and this year is no exception. While adequate at home(17-12), they are playing great on the road(25-14). They currently sport a league best 17-6 in 1-run games. their 42-26 record is the leagues 3rd best. But scoring only 22 more runs than they have given up(392RS-370RA) may be a cause for concern. They are playing .618 ball as opposed to a .529 EXP. Boise leads the league in SBs(86) but is last in HRs(76). The OBP(.347) & OPS(.777) are near the bottom of the league rankings, but most other offensive categories are at or slightly above average. Most of the pitching stats rank near the middle of the pack also, but they have given up a league low 77 HRs and the OSLG ranks 4th(.434). CF Clayton Hairston is hitting .362 with 17 SBs. RF Jose Marquez has 22 SBs. 5 time All Star LF Alfonso Tejera has 13 HRs. 4 time MVP C Olmedo Rivas is 32 and may be showing signs of wear. His BA(.299), SLG(.502), and OPS(.898) are all below his lifetime standards. 4 time All Star SP Bobby Stephenson(8-1) has been great so far. His 2.12 ERA, .212 OAV, .268 OBP, 1.04 WHIP, & .315 OSLG all lead the league and may lead to his 2nd Cy Young award. But Joey Montgomery(4-5, 6.21 ERA) is ancient and may be near the end of a fantastic career, and Artie Dimaggio(3-5, 6.42 ERA) has been sub par thus far. An injury to FA Tony Perez has hurt. MR Darren Trujillo(9-2) and Closer Felipe Cairo(21/23 Saves) have been very good. They may need more offensive production to contend all year in this tough division.

SCOTTSDALE SUNNY- mdtiger took over this club after last year's owner quit in the frustration of being in the league's toughest division. It's going to take some time to become a contender here. So far the results are not too encouraging. The .382 ACT PCT is well below the .450 EXP PCT. The .269 BA ranks 14th, SLG(.448) is 12th. But many of the other offensive rankings are not too far below the league average. Almost all pitching rankings are in the bottom third of the league. On the up side, the contracts he inherited don't look awful. Former ROY & 3 time MVP RF Ramiro Guevara's ratings may have slipped a bit, but not his production(.307, 26 HR, 61 RBI, 1.000 OPS). He may be the kind of player mdtiger could land a boatload of prospects for. An All Star last season, DH Jumbo Flores(.351, 12 HR, 1.080 OPS) is only 26. 23 year old 3B Zach Tatum(20 HRs) has plenty of power, but may never hit for much of a BA. SP Jesus Benitez leads the staff with 6 wins and, at 24, looks like a guy you could build a staff around. Another keeper is Gorkys Fernandez(2-8, .271 OAV) who, at 23, could develop into a solid mid-rotation SP. Carson Hoffman has done OK in the closer role(9-11). Mike Kelton, Grover O'Brien, Luther Rupe & Fritz Starr might be of some value to a contender down the stretch and could bring some prospects in a trade. While there are some bright spots, this is a team that needs a significant overhaul to become a contender in this division.

Season 13 AL South 1/3 Season Analysis

2009-09-29T19:43:00.002-05:00

At over 50 games into season 13, let's atake a look at the teams in the

AL SOUTH

Florida Fire Sailfish- Coming off a season 12 division title, jmercer77's squad once again looks like they might be the team to beat in the AL South. Currently holding a slight lead over the surprising Cheeseheads, the Fish are playing slightly better than RS/RA would suggest(.537 act-.514 exp). That might be because they have played more games at home(22-13) than on the road(7-12) so far. They sport a potent offense(324 RS-4th), but are giving up far too many(315-12th). The Sailfish currently lead the league in BA(.295) and OBP(.365). The pitching is having it's problems, though, with a 5.44ERA(11th), .294 OAV(14th), .368 OBP(last), .485 OSLG(12th),& 1.62 WHIP(15th). These stats will have to improve or the pressure will be on the offense all year. Their FPct is right about at the league average. Former MVP and ROY RF Miguel Palacios has been a beast as usual, leading the league in HR(27),RBI(70), & OPS(1.215) to go with a .343 BA. DH Lance Kelleher(.350, 12 HR, 1.018 OPS) & 5-time All Star 2B Bruce King(.333, 12 HR, 10 SB) have been a stellar supporting cast. Ivan Gonzalez leads the league with 17 SB. 5 regulars are batting over .300. SP FA signee Diego Nunez(0-6, 6.46 ERA) has been a big disappointment. FA SP Phillip Haney is 5-1, but with a 5.82 ERA and .300 OAV, it looks like he has benefited from the potent Fish offense. SP Esteban Lee is solid(6-4, .264 OAV) as is Bob Kelly(5-3, 3.56 ERA)and FA RP Buddy Henley(3.86 ERA,6-0, 2 Svs) has been excellent. But the staff as a whole has given up nearly 100 more hits than IP, and that's not good.

Monterrey Cheeseheads- After finishing a distant 4th last season, vector21 looks like he has his club headed in the right direction in his 4th season at the helm. This is another club that likes home cookin'(19-14 H, 9-12 R). Currently 1 game behind Florida, the Heads are right about at their expectations(.519 act-.511 exp). They are 12-9 in 1-run games, which always helps. While in the middle of the pack in BA and OBP, they are slugging with the best(2nd in HR(105), SLG(.504), & OPS(.823). They are right near league averages in most pitching categories , but the OAV(.288) is a bit high. Signed 5 ML FAs and they have mostly worked out for the best so far. 7 time All Star LF Diego Moreno is batting .313. 3 time All Star SS/CF Mark Jones has 15 HR & is hitting .317. FA SPs Earl Slaughter(3.74 ERA) & Lewis Locko(3-3, 3.57 ERA) have been solid. C Aaron Bradshaw(.354), 2B Gary Hardy(17 HR), SS/CF Dolf Titan & RF Juan Santana(13 HRs each) have provided the power. SP Tom Benes has a 3.59 ERA but the starters have all pretty much lost as much as they have won. Closer Reid Bagwell is 9-12 in saves. One future problem may be that the ML roster only has 7 players under the age of 27.

New Orleans Freebeads- joshoakley's squad was a WS participant 3 seasons back, but are struggling at .500 so far this year. Still, they are only 2 games back in this hotly contested division. Managing to play above EXP to date(.500 act-.465 exp). They are scoring plenty of runs(338, 2nd) but are giving up far too many(368, 15th). They are in the top 1/3 of the league in most offensive categories. The pitching has it's problems. ERA(5.93, 15th), OAV(.307, last), OBP(.365, 15th), SLG(.510, 15th). Get the picture. Lead offensively by C Hector Gonzales(.328, 16 HR, 1.051 OPS), and 3B Bill Mercedes(.305, 14 HR). Part time closer Leonardo Stockton(7-9 Svs, .250 OAV, 3.44 ERA) has been one of the only pitching bright spots. With 140+ more hits than IP, the pitching staff is putting far too much pressure on the offense to contend all season.

Louisville Sluggers- A recent slide has dropped davidbutler9's club a couple of games below .500, but they still hover only 3 games off the pace. They've managed to post a winning record at home(15-10), but have struggled on the road(11-18). Their .481 act pct is better than the .422 exp pct. They have scored the fewest runs in the league(249). The BA(.268, 15th), OBP(.332, 15th), SLG(.437 13th), HR(69, 14th), Hits(507 15th), OPS(.768 14th) are all near the bottom of the league. (Aside...as I write these stats, I can't understand how david beats my Torrones like a drum every time we play! But he does!). The pitching is very close to the league average in most categories except for OAV(.269 4th) and Hits(506 4th). They are one of the best fielding teams in the league, with a .988 FPct and only 25 errors. FA signee 2B Virgil Rodriguez, a former MVP, 4 time All Star and 5 time Silver Slugger, is carrying the offense(16 HR, 55 RBI), but that 5 year contract may come back to haunt the Sluggers by the time it's over. The SPs have all been pretty average, but the relief corps has had some bright spots. Closer Moises Rijo is 12-13 in saves(.164 OAV, 1.04 ERA, 1.10 WHIP). RP Joaquin Park(.154 OAV, 0.77 WHIP, 2.08 ERA), and RP David Hayashi(.143 OAV, 0.73 WHIP, 0.00 ERA) have been nearly unhittable. While showing improvement this season, david will have to make some major upgrades to the offense to contend.